'Don't go Rahul' voices grow in Congress

Hyderabad: Telangana Congress leaders have stepped up their efforts to ensure that Rahul Gandhi remains as president of the All India Congress Committee. The leaders have taken up agitations in this direction.

All India Congress Committee secretary V Hanumantha Rao and Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Bollu Kishan launched hunger strike at Gandhi Bhavan on Thursday. The Telangana Congress leaders will continue their efforts in the coming days in support of Rahul Gandhi.

The resignation of Rahul Gandhi for the post of AICC president post has turned out to be focal point for the leaders since May 23, the day on which results of Lok Sabha elections were declared.

The leaders expressed the fear that Congress party would not survive if Gandhi family led the party. The leaders issued statements and held press conference, appealing to Rahul Gandhi to give up the idea of resigning as AICC president.

Several senior leaders like N Uttam Kumar Reddy, V Hanumantha Rao, Mallu Ravi, M Kodanda Reddy, MLA T Jagga Reddy, NSUI state unit president Venkat and others made it clear that the Congress party would not survive if Rahul Gandhi resigned.

According to Congress leaders, there was no alternative to Rahul Gandhi in the party to take up the job of president of the party. Though there are senior leaders in the party, none of them was capable of keeping the party intact.

The senior leaders have been recalling the days of P V Narasimha Rao. After the demise of Rajiv Gandhi, P V Narasimha Rao was made president of the party in 1991. He was succeeded by Sitaram Kesari in 1996.

However, the party suffered damage during Narasimha Rao and Kesari periods and Sonia Gandhi had taken over the party reins in 1998.

However, a split took place in that year and leaders like Sharad Pawar and P A Sangma walked out of the party. The party was able to come to power at the Centre in 2004 under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi.