Bengaluru: As the Congress looks at new leadership, party leader Priyank Kharge on Thursday favoured Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi naming its President and acknowledged that Ashok Gehlot is a good choice for the post. The son of veteran Congress leader M Mallikarjun Kharge said most of the partymen are insisting that either Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should take up the mantle as they have broader acceptance within the cadre and among the masses.
"They have pan-India appeal whether you like it or not," Kharge told PTI here. "If you go through our recent history, it's impossible to function without a Gandhi at the helm of affairs of the Congress because they have been the 'glue factor."
"It's not that we cannot function without the Gandhi family but they are the glue factor that binds us all. The family has sacrificed the most for the party", the former Karnataka Minister said.
In case the two are unwilling to take up the post, then it should be left to the discretion and decision of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi himself on who should be the party President, according to him. "Let them (Sonia and Rahul Gandhi) choose. Anybody who comes with their (the family's) endorsement will have the best interests of the party," he said.
On Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, seen to be emerging as the front-runner for the post, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson noted that he is known as 'Jaadoogar' (magician)." Considering Gehlot's experience and appeal, and his rapport with leaders of various States, he is a good choice if the party wants him to head it, he said.
But Kharge hastened to note that there are other names also being talked about, like Mukul Wasnik and Ghulam Nabi Azad. All those leaders being suggested for the post come with immense experience and loyalty to the party, he pointed out. Gehlot on Wednesday sought to play down reports about him being the front-runner to become Congress president and said efforts will be made till the last moment to persuade Rahul Gandhi to take over the reins of the party again.
Gehlot's remarks came a day after he met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi which triggered the buzz that the two may have discussed the possibility of him being the next party president. The Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party's highest decision-making body, will hold a virtual meeting on Sunday to approve the schedule of dates for the election of the Congress president. Sonia Gandhi will preside over the CWC meeting.
Several leaders, including Gehlot, have been publicly exhorting Rahul Gandhi to become party chief again. However, uncertainty and suspense continue on the issue. Several party insiders say Rahul Gandhi is persisting with his stance that he will not be AICC president. He resigned as Congress president after the party suffered its second consecutive defeat in parliamentary elections in 2019. Sonia Gandhi, who took over the reins of the party again as interim president, had also offered to quit in August 2020 after an open revolt by a section of leaders, referred to as G-23, but the CWC had urged her to continue. (PTI)
