Rahul Gandhi 2.0 likely in April

New Delhi : Rahul Gandhi is set to return as party president in April, said party sources here in New Delhi on Thursday. It is expected to be after the Budget Session and might coincide with Baisakhi, the harvest festival.

The Congress is mulling on calling a plenary session in April just to formalise Gandhi's re-appointment.

In 2017, Rahul Gandhi was elected president unopposed following demand from different quarters of the party, but after the drubbing faced by the party in the 2019 General Elections that saw the Congress barely getting over 50 seats, losing out to even being called the Opposition, Gandhi resigned in May taking the responsibility of poll debacle.

Rejecting apprehensions, a party leader said: "The leader must be accepted from Mizoram to Porbandar and the party is considering all the factors in place. The leader has to be a homogeneous entity accepted to all.

"So nobody can guide us to choose our leader. It is the party which will decide who will lead the us. And not somebody from outside."

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) appointed Sonia Gandhi as interim president in August last year.

While many party leaders have been demanding the appointment of the party president, including Shashi Tharoor, who has been advocating elections to the CWC, said: "I renew my appeal to CWC to hold leadership elections to energise workers and inspire voters."

The Kerala MP added: "Some have asked who should vote for what. I was referring to my earlier call -- eight months ago -- for elections among the 10,000 party workers who constitute the 'AICC plus PCC delegates' list. These should be for the elected seats in the CWC as well as for the Party Presidency."

While Congress has reacted sharply to Tharoor and other leaders statements, Randeep Surjewala the chief spokesperson said: "Those who are talking of CWC should go and read the resolution which appointed Sonia Gandhi as Interim head of the party."

Maharashtra leader, Sanjay Nirupam said: "It's inane discussion. No one from outside the family can lead Congress at this juncture. Rahul Gandhi is the only leader who can lead the party and can save it. Other leaders are just a group leader & such leaders at the helm will encourage more groupism. Period!"

Nirupam's reaction came after the late Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit's son, Sandeep Dikshit in an interview questioned the party's "continued inaction" mode. And also named senior leaders who should contribute "more" in the decision making.

The working Committee will take a call as and when required, it had said.

The Congress has been decimated to its lowest level in the just concluded elections and once more the question of leadership is being raised from within the party.

The Congress leader said that if Rahul gandhi had been President the result could have been better in various state election especially in Haryana and Maharashtra.