Rajasthan Congress passes resolution urging Rahul to continue as party chief

Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee (RPCC) on Wednesday passed a resolution urging Rahul Gandhi to continue as the party President.

"Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee has passed a resolution, requesting Rahul Gandhi to continue as the party President," said Avinash Pande, Rajasthan Congress in-charge while speaking to media persons here.

The resolution was passed in a meeting chaired by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and PCC chief, Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot."We want Rahul Gandhi to continue as a party president. As there is a need for a strong opposition, we have urged him to guide us further. He has worked really hard for the party. This is not the last election, we will win people's hearts in the next election," Pilot said.

This was the first meeting of the party's state unit after its drubbing in the general elections.

In Rajasthan, Congress drew blank in the Lok Sabha polls, even after it registered a victory in the assembly elections held in December last year.

On May 25, Rahul had offered to step down from the party president post at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, taking moral responsibility for the party's dismal performance. His resignation was rejected 'unanimously' by the party members who authorized him to do a complete overhaul and restructure the party at every level.

While reports suggest that Gandhi remains firm on resigning, a number of leaders from Congress and its allies have urged him to continue as the party president.

Rahul had also lost to BJP's Smriti Irani from Amethi parliamentary constituency which was represented by him since 2004.

While the BJP won 303 seats, Congress was far behind at 52 in the recently concluded polls.