Maharashtra Congress urges Rahul to withdraw resignation

The Maharashtra Congress Thursday urged party chief Rahul Gandhi to withdraw his resignation, tendered in the backdrop of the Lok Sabha poll results, and continue to lead the organisation in its ideological battle.

The state unit of the opposition party made the appeal to Gandhi through a resolution passed unanimously at a meeting here.

The resolution was proposed by Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Ashok Chavan and the party's Mumbai unit chief, Milind Deora, both of whom lost the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls from Nanded and Mumbai South, respectively.

It asked state leaders to take responsibility for the Congress's poll debacle. The 133-year-old party won just one seat in Maharashtra, which has 48 Lok Sabha constituencies.

Gandhi had offered to resign during the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Delhi last week after the party's debacle in the general elections. However, the highest decision-making body of the party had unanimously rejected his resignation and urged him to continue as party president.

The MPCC resolution said the Lok Sabha results, which saw the Congress winning just 52 seats, were very shocking and disappointing.

"The Congress president campaigned tirelessly in the entire country and in fact it is time for the state leaders to introspect and take responsibility for this debacle," it said.

The MPCC said there are crores of electors who voted for the Congress and believe in Gandhi's leadership.

"They will be disappointed with the decision of Rahulji to quit as party chief. Under the prevailing political situation, all leaders and workers of the Congress party need guidance and leadership of Rahul Gandhi," it said.

The Maharashtra and Mumbai unit of the Congress also endorsed the CWC decision on May 25, which unanimously called upon Gandhi to lead the party in its ideological battle and champion the cause of youths, farmers, minorities, SC/ST/OBCs, poor and deprived sections of the society.