Sonia Gandhi may offer to step down as Cong chief, say reports

Sonia Gandhi is likely to step down as Congress president in the wake of questions being raised by some senior leaders against the party’s leadership, according to reports.

She is believed to have expressed her intentions to step down to her close associates and has asked them to find a new chief, some reports said, even as she got support from some sections of the party. This comes a day before the meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), which is likely to witness fireworks over leadership.

Some veteran party leaders, including leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma, Kapil Sibal, Manish Tewari Tewari, Veerappa Moily and Prithviraj Chavan, had in a letter written about two weeks ago, questioned the functioning of the Congress and said there was a need for major reforms in the party. They said there was a need for a “full-time” leader who is “effective” and would be “visible”. They also wanted elections to the CWC held.

The letter, written on August 7 and whose contents were leaked to the media after the Congress denied its existence, called for “collective leadership” and said the youth are “losing confidence” in the party. It said state units must be strengthened to revitalise the party.

According to sources, about 300 party functionaries from various states have endorsed the contents of the letter, The Hindu reported.

The party’s high-profile Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor also supported the demand for reforms in the party.

Sonia Gandhi became the interim chief of the party after Rahul Gandhi stepped down in the aftermath of the drubbing the party received in the Lok Sabha elections last year. Rahul Gandhi has made it known that he is not keen to return to the post.

Related news: Congress leaders seek ‘effective’ leadership; CWC to discuss 

Sonia Gandhi has received support from Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh and former Union minister Salman Khurshid.

In a statement on Sunday, Singh said “no other leader in the Congress” can provide a “strong leadership”.

Some leaders said “personal interests more than concern for the party” prompted the letter, reported The Hindu.