VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Sept 20: Amid the proposed presidential poll for national president of the Congress, the Jharkhand Congress on Tuesday passed a resolution demanding anointment of Rahul Gandhi for this post. The move is not unexpected as Pradesh Congress Committees (PCC) of Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Maharashtra, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat have urged Rahul Gandhi to be the next party chief.
Rahul Gandhi has undertaken Bharat Jodo nationwide tour and there is a feeling within the party that the leadership should explore beyond the Gandhi family. It may possibly revive the political prospect of the Congress which not only lost elections after elections but also lost the position to lead the opposition parties against the BJP-led NDA and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
But Jharkhand Congress thinks otherwise and wants Rahul Gandhi to head the party even if his previous stint delivered a dud. All 320 newly elected block level delegates of the Congress pressed for a resolution in support of Rahul Gandhi during the meeting held in Ranchi. The state party in-charge Avinash Pande was present. The entire party supported this resolution.
“Two important resolutions were passed in the leadership of Avinash Pande. First, Rahul Gandhi should head the Congress at national level. Only under his leadership can we defeat the BJP and its communal design. The second resolution was moved by minister Alamgir Alam asking Sonia Gandhi to take all decisions related to affairs of the party in Jharkhand,” senior party leader Alok Dubey told the media.
Amid such clamours, the Congress is inching to a regime change and the presidential polls may become a straight fight between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.
The interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi has hinted Shashi Tharoor that the Gandhi family would stay neutral. Shashi Tharoor has already hinted his intention to contest the presidential election and he would take up the task of organisational reforms of the party and decisions taken at the Udaipur Conclave would be implemented.
Ashok Gehlot is still reluctant but he is likely to file his nomination on September 26.
