Could Mukul Wasnik be the bridge between old and new guard in Congress?

Mukul Wasnik, a former union minister, is one name that the Congress party's old and younger leaders could agree upon to succeed Rahul Gandhi as interim president, party sources said. Wasnik, 59, is currently a general secretaries in the party.

Mallikarjun Kharge, 76, Jyotiraditya Scindia, 48, and Sachin Pilot, 41, are other names being talked about for the post but sources said Wasnik could be the bridge between the old guard and younger leaders, helping the party in its leadership transition with a team comprising both groups.

Senior party leaders sat again for a meeting on Monday evening ostensibly to discuss the Karnataka crisis, but also to reach a consensus on an interim chief of the party. They said the next meeting of the Congress working committee will be held only after a consensus is reached.

In a statement issued on Monday, veteran Congress leader Karan Singh said the party’s working committee should meet soon under the leadership of former prime minister Manmohan Singh. He said the party should install an interim Congress president until fresh party elections, and suggested it appoints four working presidents or vice presidents, one each for North, South, East and West zones, to induct "younger people into positions of authority".

After Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh called for a younger leader to head the party last week, 88-year-old Karan Singh said he was “aghast to see the confusion and disorientation into which the party has fallen since Rahul Gandhi resigned on May 25.” He said the party wasted a month pleading him to take back his resignation instead of honouring his decision.

Karan Singh’s suggestions came a day after Scindia and 42-year-old Milind Deora made public their resignation from their respective posts in the party.