Congress rejects Sonia, Rahul's offer to resign over poll debacle

Resignation is not the solution, mistakes need to be corrected, says Manmohan Singh

Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi offered to resign at the Congress Working Committee meeting on Monday in the wake of the party's humiliating defeat in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. However, Congress party unanimously rejected the Gandhis' resignation offer. 

 

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh echoed the views of senior Congress leaders and opposed accepting the resignations of Sonia and Rahul. 

 

"Resignation is not the solution, mistakes need to be corrected," he said.

 

Defending Sonia and Rahul, senior Congress leader Beni Prasad Verma said, "Why should they resign. It is a collective responsibility of the party."

 

Congress spokesperson Raj Babbar said that the party would fight under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi.

 

Earlier, party leader Manish Tewari said the resignation of the party leadership in the wake of the poll debacle is not the way forward.

 

On Friday, Sonia and Rahul appeared before the media and took personal responsibility for the drubbing that left the party with just 44 seats in the lower House of 543, a huge climb down from 206 seats it had in the outgoing 15th Lok Sabha.