<p>A day after announcing his resignation as Punjab Cabinet minister, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday said that he has sent his resignation to Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh.</p>

<p>"Today I have sent my resignation to the Chief Minister Punjab, has been delivered at his official residence...," he tweeted.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Today I have sent my resignation to the Chief Minister Punjab, has been delivered at his official residence...</p>
— Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sherryontopp/status/1150646554753032199?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Sidhu had shared his resignation letter <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/navjot-singh-sidhu-resigns-from-punjab-government-235689">addressed to Rahul Gandhi </a>on Sunday. My letter to the Congress President Shri Rahul Gandhi Ji, submitted on 10 June 2019," he tweeted.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
This had triggered a row as to why the resignation was not sent to Amarinder Singh in the past one month.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">My letter to the Congress President Shri. Rahul Gandhi Ji, submitted on 10 June 2019. <a href="https://t.co/WS3yYwmnPl">pic.twitter.com/WS3yYwmnPl</a></p>
— Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sherryontopp/status/1150291448715022337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Meanwhile, the chief minister&nbsp;said he will go through Sidhu's resignation and then decide.</p>

<p>"I have no issues with him, I had in fact given him a very important portfolio after the reshuffle. It was his decision to quit the Cabinet. I have been told that he has sent the letter to my office, will go through it &amp; then see what is to be done," he said.</p>

<p>On June 6, Chief Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/navjot-singh-sidhu-given-power-ministry-after-punjab-cm-amarinder-singhs-cabinet-reshuffle-225057">Amarinder Singh had stripped Sidhu of </a>the Local Government and Tourism and Cultural Affairs Departments and allotted him the Power and New and Renewable Energy Portfolio.</p>

<p>"I cannot be taken for granted. I have been a performer throughout in 40 years of my life be it international cricket, or world-class commentary with Geoffrey Boycott, TV shows or motivational talks," Sidhu had told reporters after being stripped of the key portfolios.</p>

<p>"My department is being singled out publicly. I always regard him as my elder I always listen to him. But it hurts and now where is the collective responsibility? He (Amarinder) could have called me and said anything he wanted to say," Sidhu had added.</p>

<p>Singh and Sidhu have been at loggerheads since his controversial visit to Pakistan for the swearing-in ceremony of Imran Khan where he had hugged the Army Chief leading to a huge controversy&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


A day after announcing his resignation as Punjab Cabinet minister, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday said that he has sent his resignation to Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh.

A day after announcing his resignation as Punjab Cabinet minister, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday said that he has sent his resignation to Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh. "Today I have sent my resignation to the Chief Minister Punjab, has been delivered at his official residence...," he tweeted. Today I have sent my resignation to the Chief Minister Punjab, has been delivered at his official residence... — Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) July 15, 2019 × Sidhu had shared his resignation letter addressed to Rahul Gandhi on Sunday. My letter to the Congress President Shri Rahul Gandhi Ji, submitted on 10 June 2019," he tweeted. This had triggered a row as to why the resignation was not sent to Amarinder Singh in the past one month. My letter to the Congress President Shri. Rahul Gandhi Ji, submitted on 10 June 2019. pic.twitter.com/WS3yYwmnPl — Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) July 14, 2019 × Meanwhile, the chief minister said he will go through Sidhu's resignation and then decide. "I have no issues with him, I had in fact given him a very important portfolio after the reshuffle. It was his decision to quit the Cabinet. I have been told that he has sent the letter to my office, will go through it & then see what is to be done," he said. On June 6, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had stripped Sidhu of the Local Government and Tourism and Cultural Affairs Departments and allotted him the Power and New and Renewable Energy Portfolio. "I cannot be taken for granted. I have been a performer throughout in 40 years of my life be it international cricket, or world-class commentary with Geoffrey Boycott, TV shows or motivational talks," Sidhu had told reporters after being stripped of the key portfolios. "My department is being singled out publicly. I always regard him as my elder I always listen to him. But it hurts and now where is the collective responsibility? He (Amarinder) could have called me and said anything he wanted to say," Sidhu had added. Singh and Sidhu have been at loggerheads since his controversial visit to Pakistan for the swearing-in ceremony of Imran Khan where he had hugged the Army Chief leading to a huge controversy (With inputs from agencies)

Ending suspense, Navjot Singh Sidhu sends resignation to Punjab CM Amarinder Singh

<p>The Congress on Saturday made organisational changes in its Maharashtra unit in view of upcoming assembly polls and appointed senior state leader Balasaheb Thorat as the state party chief.</p>

<p>The party also appointed five working presidents - Nitin Raut, Baswaraj M Patil, Vishwajeet Kadam, Yashomati Chandrakant Thakur and Muzaffer Hussain.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat appointed new president of the Maharashtra unit of Congress party, replacing Ashok Chavan <a href="https://t.co/5AQsqE0hGE">pic.twitter.com/5AQsqE0hGE</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1150080688223391746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>KC Padavi has been appointed the leader of the legislative party.</p>

<p>The party releases said that the appointments were made "with approval of Congress president" and did not mention the name of Rahul Gandhi.</p>

<p>Gandhi has resigned owning responsibility for the party's defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. The Congress Working Committee, the party's highest making body, at its meeting in May had rejected his offer to step down.</p>


The Congress on Saturday made organisational changes in its Maharashtra unit in view of upcoming assembly polls and appointed senior state leader Balasaheb Thorat as the state party chief.

The Congress on Saturday made organisational changes in its Maharashtra unit in view of upcoming assembly polls and appointed senior state leader Balasaheb Thorat as the state party chief. The party also appointed five working presidents - Nitin Raut, Baswaraj M Patil, Vishwajeet Kadam, Yashomati Chandrakant Thakur and Muzaffer Hussain. Senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat appointed new president of the Maharashtra unit of Congress party, replacing Ashok Chavan pic.twitter.com/5AQsqE0hGE — ANI (@ANI) July 13, 2019 × KC Padavi has been appointed the leader of the legislative party. The party releases said that the appointments were made "with approval of Congress president" and did not mention the name of Rahul Gandhi. Gandhi has resigned owning responsibility for the party's defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. The Congress Working Committee, the party's highest making body, at its meeting in May had rejected his offer to step down.

Balasaheb Thorat appointed as Maharashtra Congress chief

<p>It is writing on the wall. The defeat of the Congress is like the tip of an iceberg. Instead of regrouping and putting heads together, the entire opposition remains disorganised. The only glue which binds the Opposition together is BJP.</p>

<p>Today, it is easy to blame BJP for breaking MLAs, destroying governments, but the fact remains that Congress does not provide any ideological reason for the representatives to stay put in their respective camps. Trouble is bigger for the Congress as it has not been able to put its own house in order. There exists vacuum at the top and no senior Congress leader at the Centre has shown the courage to bell the cat. Punjab’s chief minister Amarinder Singh is the sole politician to have written an editorial on this issue and put his views in public.</p>

<p>Rest have chosen to address the issue in political mumbo jumbo. Congress government is on verge of collapse in Karnataka and 10 MLAs have joined BJP in Goa. The shift represents hollowing out of the ideological axis of all the regional parties including that of the Congress.</p>

<p>Fact is that Congress has nothing to offer to the public except 'Gandhis', which as a brand has been defeated in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections making the party even more vulnerable.&nbsp;</p>

<p>What is different today from yesteryears is that parties opposed to Congress in the first 50 years also had a different ideological axis. They were either rooted in socialist ideology or made ingress into the Congress vote through hard identity politics at the state level.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Today, identity politics at the level of caste has been decimated by BJP. Its ideological axis revolves around nationalism and Hindutva. The Opposition, on the other hand, has neither shown intellectual resilience nor political astuteness in dealing with such a narrative.</p>

<p>All regional parties, including Congress, have no ideological glue to bind workers and leaders together at the time of political crisis.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Meanwhile, the regional parties are either tied to a dynasty or strong regional issue which is divorced from a larger world view. For example, Jagan Mohan Reddy has inherited Congress in Andhra Pradesh because local Congress politicians felt cheated by the Congress high command. TRS victory was based on the creation of Telangana and massive subsidy scheme. Mamata’s '<em>Ma Maati Manush'</em> feels old and BJD is on brink of imitating AIADMK in Odisha as it has no succession plan in place.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Congress continues to procrastinate and has failed to come up with a succession plan. Earlier, even when Opposition was crushed and defeated by Congress, senior opposition leaders like Ram Manohar Lohia, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Namboodiripad, RK Hegde, Charan Singh, Jai Prakash Narayan, Chandrashekhar, Somnath Chatterjee, LK Advani, Rajmata Scindia, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and many others could grab the attention of the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his government. They could capture space in national media. None of that exists today.</p>

<p>Imagine, Bharatiya Jan Sangh dissolved itself and became part of Janata Party in 1977 but the experiment failed. It rebooted itself as BJP in 1980. By 1990 it had 89 seats in Lok Sabha and senior leadership at the state level. The Opposition has none today. If it wants to be a force against BJP, then it will need to articulate as to what does it stand for and what are its cherished ideological principles. Crass opportunism will not work this time around.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


It is writing on the wall. The defeat of the Congress is like the tip of an iceberg. Instead of regrouping and putting heads together, the entire opposition remains disorganised.

It is writing on the wall. The defeat of the Congress is like the tip of an iceberg. Instead of regrouping and putting heads together, the entire opposition remains disorganised. The only glue which binds the Opposition together is BJP. Today, it is easy to blame BJP for breaking MLAs, destroying governments, but the fact remains that Congress does not provide any ideological reason for the representatives to stay put in their respective camps. Trouble is bigger for the Congress as it has not been able to put its own house in order. There exists vacuum at the top and no senior Congress leader at the Centre has shown the courage to bell the cat. Punjab’s chief minister Amarinder Singh is the sole politician to have written an editorial on this issue and put his views in public. Rest have chosen to address the issue in political mumbo jumbo. Congress government is on verge of collapse in Karnataka and 10 MLAs have joined BJP in Goa. The shift represents hollowing out of the ideological axis of all the regional parties including that of the Congress. Fact is that Congress has nothing to offer to the public except 'Gandhis', which as a brand has been defeated in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections making the party even more vulnerable. What is different today from yesteryears is that parties opposed to Congress in the first 50 years also had a different ideological axis. They were either rooted in socialist ideology or made ingress into the Congress vote through hard identity politics at the state level. Today, identity politics at the level of caste has been decimated by BJP. Its ideological axis revolves around nationalism and Hindutva. The Opposition, on the other hand, has neither shown intellectual resilience nor political astuteness in dealing with such a narrative. All regional parties, including Congress, have no ideological glue to bind workers and leaders together at the time of political crisis. Meanwhile, the regional parties are either tied to a dynasty or strong regional issue which is divorced from a larger world view. For example, Jagan Mohan Reddy has inherited Congress in Andhra Pradesh because local Congress politicians felt cheated by the Congress high command. TRS victory was based on the creation of Telangana and massive subsidy scheme. Mamata’s 'Ma Maati Manush' feels old and BJD is on brink of imitating AIADMK in Odisha as it has no succession plan in place. Congress continues to procrastinate and has failed to come up with a succession plan. Earlier, even when Opposition was crushed and defeated by Congress, senior opposition leaders like Ram Manohar Lohia, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Namboodiripad, RK Hegde, Charan Singh, Jai Prakash Narayan, Chandrashekhar, Somnath Chatterjee, LK Advani, Rajmata Scindia, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and many others could grab the attention of the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his government. They could capture space in national media. None of that exists today. Imagine, Bharatiya Jan Sangh dissolved itself and became part of Janata Party in 1977 but the experiment failed. It rebooted itself as BJP in 1980. By 1990 it had 89 seats in Lok Sabha and senior leadership at the state level. The Opposition has none today. If it wants to be a force against BJP, then it will need to articulate as to what does it stand for and what are its cherished ideological principles. Crass opportunism will not work this time around. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

BJP is the only glue which binds 'disorganised' Opposition together

<p>The Metropolitan Court here on Friday granted bail to <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-jds-alliance-going-strong-despite-efforts-to-destabilise-kumaraswamy-235169&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiYn5j2ta_jAhWJaCsKHbwZB-QQFjAAegQIARAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1ZkjNUdt89h4W1Ee09jN6I">Congress</a> president <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/it-feels-like-coming-home-says-rahul-gandhi-on-his-first-visit-to-amethi-after-lok-sabha-elections-234731">Rahul Gandhi</a> in connection with a criminal defamation suit filed against him by Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank and its chairman Ajay Patel.</p>

<p>Rahul arrived at the Court to appear in connection with the case.</p>

<p>Earlier in the day, Congress leader had informed through a tweet that he would be appearing in another <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/india-news/rss-defamation-case-rahul-gandhi-pleads-not-guilty-232947&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjYstyztq_jAhXTfCsKHT5KDXAQFjACegQIAhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0_ph_LmpPiyLaitcOhnMtC">case filed against him by his "political opponents in the RSS and BJP</a>."</p>

<p>"I am in Ahmedabad today, to appear in another case filed against me by my political opponents in the RSS/BJP.&nbsp;</p>

<p>I thank them for providing me with these platforms and opportunities to take my ideological battle against them to the public.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Satyameva Jayate," he said in the tweet.</p>

<p>Last year in August, two separate criminal defamation cases were filed against Rahul and party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala for their remark that Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank (ADCB) had exchanged Rs 745.58 crore in just five days during demonetisation.</p>

<p>"Within a mere five days of the implementation of the demonetisation drive, old denominations worth Rs 3,118 crore were deposited in 11 district corporative banks that had links to the BJP leaders.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The most noteworthy of them was Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank, whose directors include BJP president Amit Shah," Surjewala had said.</p>

<p>He had further said that the bank, which is chaired by Ajay Patel, a close associate of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, received Rs 745.58 crore from November 10 to November 14.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Before appearing in connection with the criminal defamation suit, Rahul also visited Swathi restaurant in Ahmedabad where he was seen interacting with people and clicking selfies with them.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The Metropolitan Court here on Friday granted bail to Congress president Rahul Gandhi in connection with a criminal defamation suit filed against him by Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank and its chairman Ajay Patel.

The Metropolitan Court here on Friday granted bail to Congress president Rahul Gandhi in connection with a criminal defamation suit filed against him by Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank and its chairman Ajay Patel. Rahul arrived at the Court to appear in connection with the case. Earlier in the day, Congress leader had informed through a tweet that he would be appearing in another case filed against him by his "political opponents in the RSS and BJP." "I am in Ahmedabad today, to appear in another case filed against me by my political opponents in the RSS/BJP. I thank them for providing me with these platforms and opportunities to take my ideological battle against them to the public. Satyameva Jayate," he said in the tweet. Last year in August, two separate criminal defamation cases were filed against Rahul and party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala for their remark that Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank (ADCB) had exchanged Rs 745.58 crore in just five days during demonetisation. "Within a mere five days of the implementation of the demonetisation drive, old denominations worth Rs 3,118 crore were deposited in 11 district corporative banks that had links to the BJP leaders. The most noteworthy of them was Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank, whose directors include BJP president Amit Shah," Surjewala had said. He had further said that the bank, which is chaired by Ajay Patel, a close associate of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, received Rs 745.58 crore from November 10 to November 14. Before appearing in connection with the criminal defamation suit, Rahul also visited Swathi restaurant in Ahmedabad where he was seen interacting with people and clicking selfies with them.

Ahmedabad Court grants bail to Rahul Gandhi in criminal defamation case

<p>The Metropolitan Court in Ahmedabad&nbsp;on Friday granted bail to Congress president Rahul Gandhi in connection with a criminal defamation suit filed against him by Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank and its chairman Ajay Patel.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rahul arrived at the Court to appear in connection with the case. Earlier in the day, Congress leader had informed through a tweet that he would be appearing in another case filed against him by his "political opponents in the RSS and BJP."&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I am in Ahmedabad today, to appear in another case filed against me by my political opponents in the RSS/BJP. I thank them for providing me these platforms and opportunities to take my ideological battle against them to the public. Satyameva Jayate," he said in the tweet.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I'm in Ahmedabad today, to appear in another case filed against me by my political opponents in the RSS/ BJP.<br />
<br />
I thank them for providing me these platforms &amp; opportunities to take my ideological battle against them to the public.<br />
<br />
Satyameva Jayate 🙏</p>
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1149583631205093376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Last year in August, two separate criminal defamation cases were filed against Rahul and party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala for their remark that Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank (ADCB) had exchanged Rs 745.58 crore in just five days during demonetisation."Within a mere five days of the implementation of the demonetisation drive, old denominations worth Rs 3,118 crore were deposited in 11 district corporative banks that had links to the BJP leaders.</p>

<p>&nbsp;The most noteworthy of them was Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank, whose directors include BJP president Amit Shah," Surjewala had said.</p>

<p>He had further said that the bank, which is chaired by Ajay Patel, a close associate of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, received Rs 745.58 crore from November 10 to November 14. Before appearing in connection with the criminal defamation suit, Rahul also visited Swathi restaurant in Ahmedabad where he was seen interacting with people and clicking selfies with them.</p>


The Metropolitan Court in Ahmedabad on Friday granted bail to Congress president Rahul Gandhi in connection with a criminal defamation suit filed against him by Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank and its chairman Ajay Patel.

The Metropolitan Court in Ahmedabad on Friday granted bail to Congress president Rahul Gandhi in connection with a criminal defamation suit filed against him by Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank and its chairman Ajay Patel. Rahul arrived at the Court to appear in connection with the case. Earlier in the day, Congress leader had informed through a tweet that he would be appearing in another case filed against him by his "political opponents in the RSS and BJP." "I am in Ahmedabad today, to appear in another case filed against me by my political opponents in the RSS/BJP. I thank them for providing me these platforms and opportunities to take my ideological battle against them to the public. Satyameva Jayate," he said in the tweet. I'm in Ahmedabad today, to appear in another case filed against me by my political opponents in the RSS/ BJP. I thank them for providing me these platforms & opportunities to take my ideological battle against them to the public. Satyameva Jayate 🙏 — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 12, 2019 × Last year in August, two separate criminal defamation cases were filed against Rahul and party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala for their remark that Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank (ADCB) had exchanged Rs 745.58 crore in just five days during demonetisation."Within a mere five days of the implementation of the demonetisation drive, old denominations worth Rs 3,118 crore were deposited in 11 district corporative banks that had links to the BJP leaders. The most noteworthy of them was Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank, whose directors include BJP president Amit Shah," Surjewala had said. He had further said that the bank, which is chaired by Ajay Patel, a close associate of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, received Rs 745.58 crore from November 10 to November 14. Before appearing in connection with the criminal defamation suit, Rahul also visited Swathi restaurant in Ahmedabad where he was seen interacting with people and clicking selfies with them.

<p>Congress party national media coordinator Rachit Seth on Thursday resigned from the post stating that there is no "meaning for me to continue on this post," after Rahul Gandhi's resignation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Some of the biggest and most prominent party leaders called it quits from their currently held posts after Rahul Gandhi, a week back, took to microblogging site Twitter and posted a long letter confirming his resignation as the party president.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Congress leader and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jyotiraditya-scindia-resigns-as-congress-general-secretary-233778">former Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia</a> on Sunday announced to resign from the post of party general secretary.</p>

<p>"Accepting the people's verdict and taking accountability, I had submitted my resignation as General Secretary of AICC to Shri @RahulGandhi. I thank him for entrusting me with this responsibility and for giving me the opportunity to serve our party," Scindia tweeted from his official Twitter account.</p>

<p>Mumbai Congress president <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/mumbai-congress-president-milind-deora-resigns-says-looking-forward-to-play-national-role-to-help-stabilise-party-233767">Milind Deora</a> also tendered his resignation from the post the same day. He said that he is looking forward to playing a role at the "national level to stabilise the party".</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Delhi: Rachit Seth tenders his resignation from the post of National Media Coordinator of Congress party. He writes, 'After Rahul Gandhi's resignation as Congress President, there is no meaning for me to continue on this post.' <a href="https://t.co/2vXiGcdJTM">pic.twitter.com/2vXiGcdJTM</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1149224625861287936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>The resignations come at a time when the party leaders from several states are offering their resignation as an expression of solidarity with Rahul Gandhi.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the 13-month old Congress-JD(S) government slumped into crisis following the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/meet-karnataka-assembly-speaker-at-6pm-today-supreme-court-directs-rebel-karnataka-mlas-234874">resignation of 10 MLAs</a> from the membership of the state Assembly last week.</p>

<p>The Supreme Court of India on Thursday directed the rebel Congress-JDS MLAs of Karnataka to meet state Assembly Speaker in the evening today and serve their resignation if "they wish to do so".</p>


Congress party national media coordinator Rachit Seth on Thursday resigned from the post stating that there is no "meaning for me to continue on this post," after Rahul Gandhi's resignation.

Congress party national media coordinator Rachit Seth on Thursday resigned from the post stating that there is no "meaning for me to continue on this post," after Rahul Gandhi's resignation. Some of the biggest and most prominent party leaders called it quits from their currently held posts after Rahul Gandhi, a week back, took to microblogging site Twitter and posted a long letter confirming his resignation as the party president. Congress leader and former Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Sunday announced to resign from the post of party general secretary. "Accepting the people's verdict and taking accountability, I had submitted my resignation as General Secretary of AICC to Shri @RahulGandhi. I thank him for entrusting me with this responsibility and for giving me the opportunity to serve our party," Scindia tweeted from his official Twitter account. Mumbai Congress president Milind Deora also tendered his resignation from the post the same day. He said that he is looking forward to playing a role at the "national level to stabilise the party". Delhi: Rachit Seth tenders his resignation from the post of National Media Coordinator of Congress party. He writes, 'After Rahul Gandhi's resignation as Congress President, there is no meaning for me to continue on this post.' pic.twitter.com/2vXiGcdJTM — ANI (@ANI) July 11, 2019 × The resignations come at a time when the party leaders from several states are offering their resignation as an expression of solidarity with Rahul Gandhi. Meanwhile, the 13-month old Congress-JD(S) government slumped into crisis following the resignation of 10 MLAs from the membership of the state Assembly last week. The Supreme Court of India on Thursday directed the rebel Congress-JDS MLAs of Karnataka to meet state Assembly Speaker in the evening today and serve their resignation if "they wish to do so".

Congress national media coordinator Rachit Seth steps down, says 'no meaning for me to continue after Rahul Gandhi's resignation'

<p>Congress leaders including Sonia and Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday staged a protest in Parliament over the political crisis in Karnataka and Goa.<br />
<br />
Congress leaders Anand Sharma, Adhir Ranjan Choudhury, Shashi Tharoor, Gaurav Gogoi, and many others joined the demonstrating lawmakers who raised slogans while carrying black and white banners.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Delhi: Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Anand Sharma protest in front of Gandhi statue in Parliament. Rahul Gandhi tells ANI, "We are protesting against Karnataka and Goa issue" <a href="https://t.co/wmZCj7Pihn">pic.twitter.com/wmZCj7Pihn</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1149185194047475712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>The protest comes a day after 10&nbsp;Goa Congress MLAs out of 15 split from the Congress and merged with the BJP on Wednesday, reducing the Congress strength to just five members. Strength of BJP has now risen to 27.</p>

<p>In Karnataka, Several JD(S) and Congress MLAs have resigned&nbsp;withdrawing support from the coalition government in the state.</p>

<p>Congress leaders have repeatedly accused the BJP and the Central government of orchestrating the current crisis in Karnataka and Goa, a charge the BJP has denied.<br />
<br />
BJP leaders have asserted that the Saffron Party has nothing to do with the ongoing crisis in both states.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Meanwhile, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday chaired a meeting of &nbsp;Congress MPs of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha at Congress office in Parliament.<br />
<br />
<em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Congress leaders including Sonia and Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday staged a protest in Parliament over the political crisis in Karnataka and Goa. Congress leaders Anand Sharma, Adhir Ranjan Choudhury, Shashi Tharoor, Gaurav Gogoi, and many others joined the demonstrating lawmakers who raised slogans while carrying black and white banners.

Congress leaders including Sonia and Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday staged a protest in Parliament over the political crisis in Karnataka and Goa. Congress leaders Anand Sharma, Adhir Ranjan Choudhury, Shashi Tharoor, Gaurav Gogoi, and many others joined the demonstrating lawmakers who raised slogans while carrying black and white banners. Delhi: Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Anand Sharma protest in front of Gandhi statue in Parliament. Rahul Gandhi tells ANI, "We are protesting against Karnataka and Goa issue" pic.twitter.com/wmZCj7Pihn — ANI (@ANI) July 11, 2019 × The protest comes a day after 10 Goa Congress MLAs out of 15 split from the Congress and merged with the BJP on Wednesday, reducing the Congress strength to just five members. Strength of BJP has now risen to 27. In Karnataka, Several JD(S) and Congress MLAs have resigned withdrawing support from the coalition government in the state. Congress leaders have repeatedly accused the BJP and the Central government of orchestrating the current crisis in Karnataka and Goa, a charge the BJP has denied. BJP leaders have asserted that the Saffron Party has nothing to do with the ongoing crisis in both states. Meanwhile, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday chaired a meeting of Congress MPs of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha at Congress office in Parliament. (With inputs from agencies)

Congress leaders stage protest over political crisis in Karnataka and Goa; Sonia Gandhi meets party MPs

<p>Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who recently stepped down as the party president, visited Amethi on Wednesday and met the party workers.</p>

<p>"I very happy after coming to Amethi. It feels like coming home," he tweeted in Hindi soon after reaching his erstwhile Lok Sabha constituency.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">अमेठी आकर बहुत खुश हूँ। अमेठी आना घर आने जैसा लगता है। <a href="https://t.co/B6YW2f7aLg">pic.twitter.com/B6YW2f7aLg</a></p>
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1148896960339795968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>He chaired a review meeting attended by party workers and office-bearers to access the reason behind Congress's debacle in Lok Sabha elections. He asked them&nbsp;to remain prepared for a long battle to resurrect the Congress.</p>

<p>&nbsp;"Some mistakes have been made by you people also," he told the party workers.</p>

<p>This was&nbsp;his first visit to Amethi after Congress's debacle in just-concluded Lok Sabha elections.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rahul had lost Amethi seat to BJP leader Smriti Irani in the Lok Sabha elections. Rahul held the seat for the last 15 years.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On July 3, Rahul Gandhi had made his resignation letter public. "It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love, " he had tweeted.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation.<br />
<br />
I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love.<br />
<br />
Jai Hind 🇮🇳 <a href="https://t.co/WWGYt5YG4V">pic.twitter.com/WWGYt5YG4V</a></p>
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1146359704815194112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Rahul Gandhi had first offered to step down on May 25 at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee after party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections.</p>

<p>However, his offer of resignation was unanimously rejected by the CWC.</p>

<p>The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than 2014 in the outgoing Lok Sabha.&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
<em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who recently stepped down as the party president, visited Amethi on Wednesday and met the party workers. "I very happy after coming to Amethi.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who recently stepped down as the party president, visited Amethi on Wednesday and met the party workers. "I very happy after coming to Amethi. It feels like coming home," he tweeted in Hindi soon after reaching his erstwhile Lok Sabha constituency. अमेठी आकर बहुत खुश हूँ। अमेठी आना घर आने जैसा लगता है। pic.twitter.com/B6YW2f7aLg — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 10, 2019 × He chaired a review meeting attended by party workers and office-bearers to access the reason behind Congress's debacle in Lok Sabha elections. He asked them to remain prepared for a long battle to resurrect the Congress. "Some mistakes have been made by you people also," he told the party workers. This was his first visit to Amethi after Congress's debacle in just-concluded Lok Sabha elections. Rahul had lost Amethi seat to BJP leader Smriti Irani in the Lok Sabha elections. Rahul held the seat for the last 15 years. On July 3, Rahul Gandhi had made his resignation letter public. "It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love, " he had tweeted. It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love. Jai Hind 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/WWGYt5YG4V — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 3, 2019 × Rahul Gandhi had first offered to step down on May 25 at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee after party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections. However, his offer of resignation was unanimously rejected by the CWC. The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than 2014 in the outgoing Lok Sabha. (With inputs from agencies)

'It feels like coming home,' says Rahul Gandhi on his first visit to Amethi after Lok Sabha elections

<p>Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who recently stepped down as the party president, arrived in Amethi on Wednesday and met the party workers.<br />
<br />
He met the party workers in Nirmala Devi Institute and asked them&nbsp;to remain prepared for a long battle to resurrect the Congress.<br />
<br />
"I very happy after coming to Amethi. It feels like coming home," he tweeted in Hindi soon after reaching his erstwhile Lok Sabha constituency.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">अमेठी आकर बहुत खुश हूँ। अमेठी आना घर आने जैसा लगता है। <a href="https://t.co/B6YW2f7aLg">pic.twitter.com/B6YW2f7aLg</a></p>
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1148896960339795968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Earlier today, the Gandhi scion tweeted that he will celebrate his increasing follower count&nbsp;on Twitter with Congress&nbsp;workers and supporters in Amethi today.</p>

<p>"10 Million Twitter followers - thank you to each and every one of you! I will celebrate the milestone in Amethi, where I will be meeting our Congress workers and supporters today," Gandhi tweeted.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">10 Million Twitter followers - thank you to each and every one of you! 🙏🙏<br />
<br />
I will celebrate the milestone in Amethi, where I will be meeting our Congress workers &amp; supporters today.</p>
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1148810062984466433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>This is&nbsp;his first visit to Amethi after Congress's debacle in just-concluded Lok Sabha elections.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/in-a-neck-and-neck-battle-smriti-irani-defeats-rahul-gandhi-in-amethi-221025">Rahul had lost Amethi seat to BJP leader Smriti Irani </a>in the Lok Sabha elections. Rahul held the seat for the last 15 years.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On July 3, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/honour-for-me-to-serve-congress-party-rahul-gandhi-tweets-his-resignation-letter-232732">Rahul Gandhi had made his resignation letter public</a>. "It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love, " he had tweeted.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation.<br />
<br />
I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love.<br />
<br />
Jai Hind 🇮🇳 <a href="https://t.co/WWGYt5YG4V">pic.twitter.com/WWGYt5YG4V</a></p>
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1146359704815194112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than 2014 in the outgoing Lok Sabha.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who recently stepped down as the party president, arrived in Amethi on Wednesday and met the party workers. He met the party workers in Nirmala Devi Institute and asked them to remain prepared for a long battle to resurrect the Congress.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who recently stepped down as the party president, arrived in Amethi on Wednesday and met the party workers. He met the party workers in Nirmala Devi Institute and asked them to remain prepared for a long battle to resurrect the Congress. "I very happy after coming to Amethi. It feels like coming home," he tweeted in Hindi soon after reaching his erstwhile Lok Sabha constituency. अमेठी आकर बहुत खुश हूँ। अमेठी आना घर आने जैसा लगता है। pic.twitter.com/B6YW2f7aLg — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 10, 2019 × Earlier today, the Gandhi scion tweeted that he will celebrate his increasing follower count on Twitter with Congress workers and supporters in Amethi today. "10 Million Twitter followers - thank you to each and every one of you! I will celebrate the milestone in Amethi, where I will be meeting our Congress workers and supporters today," Gandhi tweeted. 10 Million Twitter followers - thank you to each and every one of you! 🙏🙏 I will celebrate the milestone in Amethi, where I will be meeting our Congress workers & supporters today. — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 10, 2019 × This is his first visit to Amethi after Congress's debacle in just-concluded Lok Sabha elections. Rahul had lost Amethi seat to BJP leader Smriti Irani in the Lok Sabha elections. Rahul held the seat for the last 15 years. On July 3, Rahul Gandhi had made his resignation letter public. "It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love, " he had tweeted. It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love. Jai Hind 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/WWGYt5YG4V — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 3, 2019 × The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than 2014 in the outgoing Lok Sabha. (With inputs from agencies)

Rahul Gandhi visits Amethi for first time after Congress's debacle in Lok Sabha elections, meets party workers

<p>The Congress on Tuesday rejected reports, that they have demanded a seat in the front row of the Lok Sabha for their party chief Rahul Gandhi.</p>

<p>Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adheer Ranjan Chowdhury termed the "speculations" as wrong.</p>

<p>"Never demanded front row seat for Rahul. He has been allotted a seat in the second row and he will be sitting there. I can say it with conviction (<em>mai ye bat dawe se keh sakta hun</em>)," he said.</p>

<p>The denial by the Congress party came after wide speculations in media about the party demanding front row seat for Rahul Gandhi, who is a fourth term MP in Lok Sabha.</p>


The Congress on Tuesday rejected reports, that they have demanded a seat in the front row of the Lok Sabha for their party chief Rahul Gandhi. Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adheer Ranjan Chowdhury termed the "speculations" as wrong.

The Congress on Tuesday rejected reports, that they have demanded a seat in the front row of the Lok Sabha for their party chief Rahul Gandhi. Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adheer Ranjan Chowdhury termed the "speculations" as wrong. "Never demanded front row seat for Rahul. He has been allotted a seat in the second row and he will be sitting there. I can say it with conviction (mai ye bat dawe se keh sakta hun)," he said. The denial by the Congress party came after wide speculations in media about the party demanding front row seat for Rahul Gandhi, who is a fourth term MP in Lok Sabha.

Congress denies reports of demanding front row seat for Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha

<p>Janardan Dwivedi, the former speech writer of Sonia Gandhi and longest serving general secretary of the Congress, has said that the reason for the party's defeat in India's general election is inside, not outside of the organisation.</p>

<p>He also said that some constitutional mechanism should have been put in place by Rahul Gandhi after he resigned as Congress president so that party could have properly moved ahead. "Some constitutional mechanism should have been constituted by the party president under which opinion of members of working committee should have been taken," the 73-year-old leader said.</p>

<p>Dwivedi served as general secretary of the Congress party from 2004 to 2017, but was replaced by KC Venugopal. Dwivedi was finally cast out of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) last year.</p>

<p>He said that there were number of issues on which he differed from the leadership. "I also apprised them of my differences. Reservation for economically backward classes was one such issue where I and leadership differed," Dwivedi said.</p>

<p>The basic objection raised by Dwivedi is that the consultation process is taking place under the banner of coordination committee which should not have been the case. He also said that many leaders are still sitting pretty and not ready to vacate their position after a major defeat.</p>

<p>He said that a gap has been left after Rahul Gandhi's resignation and norms and conventions which should have been followed in ideal condition have been set aside. He also made a point to share his resignation letter of September 15, 2014, which was rejected by the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi.</p>

<p>Congress is grappling with one of biggest crises in its 150-year-old history. A major setback in the April-May general elections in India saw Congress's tally reduced to a meagre 52, threatening an existential crisis for it and subsequently leading to the resignation of its president Rahul Gandhi.</p>

<p>Rahul resigned as the party chief taking reponsiility for the party's dismal performance in the elections. But for weeks, Congress leaders kept urging Rahul to take back his resignation and asking him not to be too harsh on himself. The drama finally ended last week when Rahul Gandhi tweeted his resignation letter and asked the party to take the process of appointing his successor forward.</p>


Janardan Dwivedi, the former speech writer of Sonia Gandhi and longest serving general secretary of the Congress, has said that the reason for the party's defeat in India's general election is inside, not outside of the organisation.

Janardan Dwivedi, the former speech writer of Sonia Gandhi and longest serving general secretary of the Congress, has said that the reason for the party's defeat in India's general election is inside, not outside of the organisation. He also said that some constitutional mechanism should have been put in place by Rahul Gandhi after he resigned as Congress president so that party could have properly moved ahead. "Some constitutional mechanism should have been constituted by the party president under which opinion of members of working committee should have been taken," the 73-year-old leader said. Dwivedi served as general secretary of the Congress party from 2004 to 2017, but was replaced by KC Venugopal. Dwivedi was finally cast out of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) last year. He said that there were number of issues on which he differed from the leadership. "I also apprised them of my differences. Reservation for economically backward classes was one such issue where I and leadership differed," Dwivedi said. The basic objection raised by Dwivedi is that the consultation process is taking place under the banner of coordination committee which should not have been the case. He also said that many leaders are still sitting pretty and not ready to vacate their position after a major defeat. He said that a gap has been left after Rahul Gandhi's resignation and norms and conventions which should have been followed in ideal condition have been set aside. He also made a point to share his resignation letter of September 15, 2014, which was rejected by the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Congress is grappling with one of biggest crises in its 150-year-old history. A major setback in the April-May general elections in India saw Congress's tally reduced to a meagre 52, threatening an existential crisis for it and subsequently leading to the resignation of its president Rahul Gandhi. Rahul resigned as the party chief taking reponsiility for the party's dismal performance in the elections. But for weeks, Congress leaders kept urging Rahul to take back his resignation and asking him not to be too harsh on himself. The drama finally ended last week when Rahul Gandhi tweeted his resignation letter and asked the party to take the process of appointing his successor forward.

Reason for electoral loss is inside and not outside the Congress, says old loyalist Janardhan Dwivedi

<p>Warning that the Congress party will disintegrate if no action is taken soon, Karan Singh on Monday pitched for the appointment of an interim president until the next election of the party.</p>

<p>"I strongly urge the Working Committee to meet without delay, perhaps under the chairmanship of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and take necessary decisions. These would include an interim Congress party president until the next party elections," he said in a statement on Monday.</p>

<p>"In my view, four Working Presidents/Vice Presidents, one each for the four zones - North, South, East, and West. This would enable the introduction of younger people into positions of authority," he added in the statement.</p>

<p>"The longer the present uncertainty remains, the more will our workers and voters around the country be demoralised. The negative cycle must be reversed before it is too late," Singh further said the in the statement.</p>

<p>Speaking to ANI exclusively, Singh said he has not suggested any names for the posts.</p>

<p>"I have not suggested any names. I did not want to mention any names as it will be a decision of the party as a whole," he said.</p>

<p>"The Congress party seems to be in disarray after Rahul Gandhi's resignation. Instead of moving forward, we wasted over month pleading him not to resign. He is an intelligent man. If he wants to resign, let him do so," he said.</p>

<p>He said that a lot of people genuinely want Rahul to carry forward the party but one must honour his desire.</p>

<p>Responding to the argument that many people claim the Congress will disintegrate if Rahul steps down from the post of president, he said,&nbsp;"That is a self-fulfilling prophecy. I say the reverse. If you do not do something soon, then the party will disintegrate."</p>

<p>Singh further stressed that there would be no opposition if the Congress party gets disintegrated.</p>

<p>"It is a fact that we are in a difficult situation. It is important the Congress should revive not only for the party itself, which has a very old and distinguished background but also for democracy. In a democracy, you need a strong opposition."</p>

<p>"If the Congress party disintegrates, which party is going to provide strong opposition? If something like this happens, then there will be only regional parties. So, it is important for the Congress to get its act together and move forward," he said.</p>

<p>Replying to a question if the Congress party would move ahead without Gandhi scion, he firmly said,&nbsp;"Why not, I see no reason. We need to bring younger people to the party. It should be a judicious mix."</p>


Warning that the Congress party will disintegrate if no action is taken soon, Karan Singh on Monday pitched for the appointment of an interim president until the next election of the party.

Warning that the Congress party will disintegrate if no action is taken soon, Karan Singh on Monday pitched for the appointment of an interim president until the next election of the party. "I strongly urge the Working Committee to meet without delay, perhaps under the chairmanship of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and take necessary decisions. These would include an interim Congress party president until the next party elections," he said in a statement on Monday. "In my view, four Working Presidents/Vice Presidents, one each for the four zones - North, South, East, and West. This would enable the introduction of younger people into positions of authority," he added in the statement. "The longer the present uncertainty remains, the more will our workers and voters around the country be demoralised. The negative cycle must be reversed before it is too late," Singh further said the in the statement. Speaking to ANI exclusively, Singh said he has not suggested any names for the posts. "I have not suggested any names. I did not want to mention any names as it will be a decision of the party as a whole," he said. "The Congress party seems to be in disarray after Rahul Gandhi's resignation. Instead of moving forward, we wasted over month pleading him not to resign. He is an intelligent man. If he wants to resign, let him do so," he said. He said that a lot of people genuinely want Rahul to carry forward the party but one must honour his desire. Responding to the argument that many people claim the Congress will disintegrate if Rahul steps down from the post of president, he said, "That is a self-fulfilling prophecy. I say the reverse. If you do not do something soon, then the party will disintegrate." Singh further stressed that there would be no opposition if the Congress party gets disintegrated. "It is a fact that we are in a difficult situation. It is important the Congress should revive not only for the party itself, which has a very old and distinguished background but also for democracy. In a democracy, you need a strong opposition." "If the Congress party disintegrates, which party is going to provide strong opposition? If something like this happens, then there will be only regional parties. So, it is important for the Congress to get its act together and move forward," he said. Replying to a question if the Congress party would move ahead without Gandhi scion, he firmly said, "Why not, I see no reason. We need to bring younger people to the party. It should be a judicious mix."

Appoint interim Congress president until next party elections: Karan Singh

<p>The Congress party has called an important meeting here on Monday, which is likely to discuss the political crisis in Karnataka.</p>

<p>This is the first crucial meeting of the Congress party after Rahul Gandhi announced to resign from the top position. However, the CWC has not yet accepted Rahul`s resignation.</p>

<p>The JDS-Congress coalition government in Karnataka has plunged into a serious crisis after several MLAs of the ruling combine announced to resign from the Assembly's membership.</p>

<p>Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has, however, expressed confidence that his government would survive the current bout of crisis as well.</p>

<p>On Monday, all Congress and JDS ministers submitted their resignations to enable the Chief Minister to restructure his Council of Ministers, which he is likely to do in consultation with his party leaders and that of the Congress and will accommodate disgruntled MLAs.</p>

<p>"Everything is OK. Wait for some time and you will get good news," had said Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) working president Eshwar Khandre while talking to reporters after a meeting with the party leaders in Bengaluru on Sunday.</p>

<p>On Saturday, 11 MLAs from the Congress-JDS coalition submitted their resignation to the Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar and Governor Vajubhai Bala. Later in the evening, 10 of the MLAs left for Mumbai.</p>

<p>The MLAs who resigned from the Assembly include BC Patil, H Vishwanath, Narayan Gowda, S Hebbar, Mahesh Kumatalli, Gopalayya, Ramesh Jharkiholi, and Pratap Gowda Patil. A rebel JDS MLA claimed that a total of 14 MLAs of the coalition have put down their papers.</p>

<p>The Congress party on Sunday also said that strict action would be taken against MLAs, who miss the Legislature Party meeting called on July 9 in Bengaluru.</p>

<p>According to the party circular on Sunday, all Congress MLAs have been asked to attend the meeting, which will start at 9.30 am.</p>

<p>The circular states that strict action would be taken against those who skip the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting, which will discuss among other things the crisis over the coalition government.</p>

<p>The CLP meeting has been called by former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.</p>

<p>Congress leader KC Venugopal and Dinesh Gundu Rao will also be present in the meeting.</p>

<p>The July 9 meeting precedes the Assembly Session, which is scheduled to commence on July 12.&nbsp;</p>


The Congress party has called an important meeting here on Monday, which is likely to discuss the political crisis in Karnataka. This is the first crucial meeting of the Congress party after Rahul Gandhi announced to resign from the top position.

The Congress party has called an important meeting here on Monday, which is likely to discuss the political crisis in Karnataka. This is the first crucial meeting of the Congress party after Rahul Gandhi announced to resign from the top position. However, the CWC has not yet accepted Rahul`s resignation. The JDS-Congress coalition government in Karnataka has plunged into a serious crisis after several MLAs of the ruling combine announced to resign from the Assembly's membership. Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has, however, expressed confidence that his government would survive the current bout of crisis as well. On Monday, all Congress and JDS ministers submitted their resignations to enable the Chief Minister to restructure his Council of Ministers, which he is likely to do in consultation with his party leaders and that of the Congress and will accommodate disgruntled MLAs. "Everything is OK. Wait for some time and you will get good news," had said Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) working president Eshwar Khandre while talking to reporters after a meeting with the party leaders in Bengaluru on Sunday. On Saturday, 11 MLAs from the Congress-JDS coalition submitted their resignation to the Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar and Governor Vajubhai Bala. Later in the evening, 10 of the MLAs left for Mumbai. The MLAs who resigned from the Assembly include BC Patil, H Vishwanath, Narayan Gowda, S Hebbar, Mahesh Kumatalli, Gopalayya, Ramesh Jharkiholi, and Pratap Gowda Patil. A rebel JDS MLA claimed that a total of 14 MLAs of the coalition have put down their papers. The Congress party on Sunday also said that strict action would be taken against MLAs, who miss the Legislature Party meeting called on July 9 in Bengaluru. According to the party circular on Sunday, all Congress MLAs have been asked to attend the meeting, which will start at 9.30 am. The circular states that strict action would be taken against those who skip the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting, which will discuss among other things the crisis over the coalition government. The CLP meeting has been called by former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Congress leader KC Venugopal and Dinesh Gundu Rao will also be present in the meeting. The July 9 meeting precedes the Assembly Session, which is scheduled to commence on July 12.

Congress' crucial meeting in New Delhi today

<p>Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who recently stepped down as the party president, will visit Amethi on Wednesday and hold meetings with party workers.</p>

<p>This will be his first visit to Amethi after Congress's debacle in just-concluded Lok Sabha elections. He will also take feedback from Congress workers to assess the reason behind his party's humiliating defeat.</p>

<p>Rahul had lost Amethi seat to BJP leader Smriti Irani in the Lok Sabha elections. Rahul held the seat for the last 15 years.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Gandhi scion has made his resignation letter public last week. "It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love, " he had tweeted.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation.<br />
<br />
I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love.<br />
<br />
Jai Hind 🇮🇳 <a href="https://t.co/WWGYt5YG4V">pic.twitter.com/WWGYt5YG4V</a></p>
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1146359704815194112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Rahul Gandhi had also said that his party should elect a new Congress president without any further delay.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Party should decide on the new president quickly without further delay, I'm nowhere in this process. I have already submitted my resignation and I am no longer the party president. CWC should convene a meeting at the earliest and decide," he said.</p>

<p><br />
Rahul Gandhi had offered to step down on May 25 at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee after party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections. However, his offer of resignation was unanimously rejected by the CWC.</p>

<p>Despite senior members making serious attempts to convince Rahul Gandhi to reconsider his decision to quit as the party chief, he remained unfazed.</p>

<p>The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than 2014 in the outgoing Lok Sabha.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
<em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who recently stepped down as the party president, will visit Amethi on Wednesday and hold meetings with party workers. This will be his first visit to Amethi after Congress's debacle in just-concluded Lok Sabha elections.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who recently stepped down as the party president, will visit Amethi on Wednesday and hold meetings with party workers. This will be his first visit to Amethi after Congress's debacle in just-concluded Lok Sabha elections. He will also take feedback from Congress workers to assess the reason behind his party's humiliating defeat. Rahul had lost Amethi seat to BJP leader Smriti Irani in the Lok Sabha elections. Rahul held the seat for the last 15 years. The Gandhi scion has made his resignation letter public last week. "It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love, " he had tweeted. It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love. Jai Hind 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/WWGYt5YG4V — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 3, 2019 × Rahul Gandhi had also said that his party should elect a new Congress president without any further delay. "Party should decide on the new president quickly without further delay, I'm nowhere in this process. I have already submitted my resignation and I am no longer the party president. CWC should convene a meeting at the earliest and decide," he said. Rahul Gandhi had offered to step down on May 25 at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee after party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections. However, his offer of resignation was unanimously rejected by the CWC. Despite senior members making serious attempts to convince Rahul Gandhi to reconsider his decision to quit as the party chief, he remained unfazed. The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than 2014 in the outgoing Lok Sabha. (With inputs from agencies)

Rahul Gandhi to visit Amethi for first time after Congress's debacle in Lok Sabha elections

<p>Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that his party should elect a new Congress president without any further delay.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Party should decide on the new president quickly without further delay, I'm nowhere in this process. I have already submitted my resignation and I am no longer the party president. CWC should convene a meeting at the earliest and decide," news agency ANI quoted him.<br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Rahul Gandhi: Party should decide on the new president quickly without further delay, I'm nowhere in this process. I have already submitted my resignation and I am no longer the party president. CWC should convene a meeting at the earliest and decide. <a href="https://t.co/pvImuPq2rj">pic.twitter.com/pvImuPq2rj</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1146340387373666304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to say that it was his honour to serve as the Congress President and shared the resignation letter.</p>

<p>“I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love,” he wrote on Twitter.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation.<br />
<br />
I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love.<br />
<br />
Jai Hind 🇮🇳 <a href="https://t.co/WWGYt5YG4V">pic.twitter.com/WWGYt5YG4V</a></p>
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1146359704815194112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Earlier today, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot met UPA chief Sonia Gandhi at her residence in New Delhi.</p>

<p>The development comes two days after chief ministers of five Congress-ruled states urged Rahul Gandhi not to leave the post of the party president.</p>

<p>Despite senior members making serious attempts to convince Rahul Gandhi to reconsider his decision to quit as the party chief, he remains unfazed.<br />
<br />
On Tuesday, party workers and leaders staged a sit-in outside Congress headquarters and urged an unrelenting Rahul Gandhi to withdraw his resignation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi had offered to step down on May 25 at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee after party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections.<br />
<br />
However, his offer of resignation was unanimously rejected by the CWC.</p>

<p>The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than 2014 in the outgoing Lok Sabha.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that his party should elect a new Congress president without any further delay. "Party should decide on the new president quickly without further delay, I'm nowhere in this process.

Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that his party should elect a new Congress president without any further delay. "Party should decide on the new president quickly without further delay, I'm nowhere in this process. I have already submitted my resignation and I am no longer the party president. CWC should convene a meeting at the earliest and decide," news agency ANI quoted him. Rahul Gandhi: Party should decide on the new president quickly without further delay, I'm nowhere in this process. I have already submitted my resignation and I am no longer the party president. CWC should convene a meeting at the earliest and decide. pic.twitter.com/pvImuPq2rj — ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2019 × Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to say that it was his honour to serve as the Congress President and shared the resignation letter. “I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love,” he wrote on Twitter. It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love. Jai Hind 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/WWGYt5YG4V — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 3, 2019 × Earlier today, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot met UPA chief Sonia Gandhi at her residence in New Delhi. The development comes two days after chief ministers of five Congress-ruled states urged Rahul Gandhi not to leave the post of the party president. Despite senior members making serious attempts to convince Rahul Gandhi to reconsider his decision to quit as the party chief, he remains unfazed. On Tuesday, party workers and leaders staged a sit-in outside Congress headquarters and urged an unrelenting Rahul Gandhi to withdraw his resignation. Rahul Gandhi had offered to step down on May 25 at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee after party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections. However, his offer of resignation was unanimously rejected by the CWC. The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than 2014 in the outgoing Lok Sabha. (With inputs from agencies)

Party should decide on the new Congress president quickly, says Rahul Gandhi

<p>The issue of leadership in Congress came up briefly at the informal meeting of party leaders here held to discuss the political developments in Karnataka but no names were discussed, party sources said.</p>

<p>The sources said discussions will continue in the coming days ahead of Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting for which no date has been fixed as yet.</p>

<p>Congress Communications chief Randeep Singh Surjewala later said that Rahul Gandhi is the Congress president and will continue to be so till the CWC takes a decision on his resignation.</p>

<p>He said crores of party workers feel that Gandhi was the only person who can lead the party effectively against the BJP which was "disregarding democracy".</p>

<p>"The last decision will be taken by Rahul Gandhi and CWC," he said.</p>

<p>Gandhi had offered to resign at the CWC meeting in May taking responsibility for the party's debacle in Lok Sabha elections and had earlier this week emphasised his decision in a letter released to the media.</p>

<p>Surjewala urged the media not to go by speculations that Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi will not attend the CWC meeting which will be called to discuss the leadership issue.</p>

<p>"Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are the most important part of the CWC. Whenever it is held, all of them will come to attend it," he said.</p>

<p>Surjewala, however, said no discussion was held on the leadership issue at Saturday's meeting and it was also not authorised to do it.&nbsp;</p>


The issue of leadership in Congress came up briefly at the informal meeting of party leaders here held to discuss the political developments in Karnataka but no names were discussed, party sources said.

The issue of leadership in Congress came up briefly at the informal meeting of party leaders here held to discuss the political developments in Karnataka but no names were discussed, party sources said. The sources said discussions will continue in the coming days ahead of Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting for which no date has been fixed as yet. Congress Communications chief Randeep Singh Surjewala later said that Rahul Gandhi is the Congress president and will continue to be so till the CWC takes a decision on his resignation. He said crores of party workers feel that Gandhi was the only person who can lead the party effectively against the BJP which was "disregarding democracy". "The last decision will be taken by Rahul Gandhi and CWC," he said. Gandhi had offered to resign at the CWC meeting in May taking responsibility for the party's debacle in Lok Sabha elections and had earlier this week emphasised his decision in a letter released to the media. Surjewala urged the media not to go by speculations that Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi will not attend the CWC meeting which will be called to discuss the leadership issue. "Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are the most important part of the CWC. Whenever it is held, all of them will come to attend it," he said. Surjewala, however, said no discussion was held on the leadership issue at Saturday's meeting and it was also not authorised to do it.

Leadership issue comes up at Congress leaders' meet, no names discussed

<p>Congress leader and former Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Sunday announced to resign from the post of party general secretary.</p>

<p>"Accepting the people's verdict and taking accountability, I had submitted my resignation as General Secretary of AICC to Shri @RahulGandhi. I thank him for entrusting me with this responsibility and for giving me the opportunity to serve our party," Scindia tweeted from his official Twitter account.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Accepting the people’s verdict and taking accountability, I had submitted my resignation as General Secretary of AICC to Shri <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RahulGandhi</a>.<br />
<br />
I thank him for entrusting me with this responsibility and for giving me the opportunity to serve our party.</p>
— Jyotiraditya Scindia (@JM_Scindia) <a href="https://twitter.com/JM_Scindia/status/1147821537128407040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Scindia had been appointed Congress' general secretary for West Uttar Pradesh along Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who had been appointed a general secretary for East UP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.</p>

<p>Scindia's resignation comes at a time when the party leaders from several states are offering their resignation or have resigned as an expression of solidarity with Rahul Gandhi, who recently quit as the party president.</p>

<p>Earlier in the day, former Member of Parliament (MP) <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/mumbai-congress-president-milind-deora-resigns-says-looking-forward-to-play-national-role-to-help-stabilise-party-233767">Milind Deora also announced to step down</a> from the post of Mumbai unit Congress president.</p>

<p>Deora has also proposed a three-member panel to lead the local unit of the party in view of the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections to be held later this year.</p>

<p>It is being said that the Congress leader may move to Delhi for a national role in the party.</p>

<p>"The same has been conveyed to Mallikarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal, General Secretaries, All India Congress Committee," a statement from Deora's office said.</p>

<p>Deora had a meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on June 26.</p>

<p>His resignation comes at a time when the party leaders from several states are offering their resignation as an expression of solidarity with Rahul Gandhi, who recently quit as the party president.</p>

<p>Deora had been appointed the president of Congress' Mumbai unit on the eve of the Lok Sabha elections.</p>

<p>Deora unsuccessfully ran for the Lok Sabha polls from South Mumbai constituency.</p>


Congress leader and former Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Sunday announced to resign from the post of party general secretary. "Accepting the people's verdict and taking accountability, I had submitted my resignation as General Secretary of AICC to Shri @RahulGandhi.

Congress leader and former Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Sunday announced to resign from the post of party general secretary. "Accepting the people's verdict and taking accountability, I had submitted my resignation as General Secretary of AICC to Shri @RahulGandhi. I thank him for entrusting me with this responsibility and for giving me the opportunity to serve our party," Scindia tweeted from his official Twitter account. Accepting the people’s verdict and taking accountability, I had submitted my resignation as General Secretary of AICC to Shri @RahulGandhi. I thank him for entrusting me with this responsibility and for giving me the opportunity to serve our party. — Jyotiraditya Scindia (@JM_Scindia) July 7, 2019 × Scindia had been appointed Congress' general secretary for West Uttar Pradesh along Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who had been appointed a general secretary for East UP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Scindia's resignation comes at a time when the party leaders from several states are offering their resignation or have resigned as an expression of solidarity with Rahul Gandhi, who recently quit as the party president. Earlier in the day, former Member of Parliament (MP) Milind Deora also announced to step down from the post of Mumbai unit Congress president. Deora has also proposed a three-member panel to lead the local unit of the party in view of the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections to be held later this year. It is being said that the Congress leader may move to Delhi for a national role in the party. "The same has been conveyed to Mallikarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal, General Secretaries, All India Congress Committee," a statement from Deora's office said. Deora had a meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on June 26. His resignation comes at a time when the party leaders from several states are offering their resignation as an expression of solidarity with Rahul Gandhi, who recently quit as the party president. Deora had been appointed the president of Congress' Mumbai unit on the eve of the Lok Sabha elections. Deora unsuccessfully ran for the Lok Sabha polls from South Mumbai constituency.

Jyotiraditya Scindia resigns as Congress general secretary

<p>Mumbai Congress president Milind Deora tendered his resignation from the post on Sunday. He also said that he is looking forward to playing a role at the "national level to stabilise the party".</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Mumbai Congress President Milind Deora tenders his resignation from his post. He has also proposed a three member panel to lead Mumbai Congress for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. (file pic) <a href="https://t.co/aPmfaF1LCt">pic.twitter.com/aPmfaF1LCt</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1147799313881473024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Deora also proposed a three-member panel to lead Mumbai Congress for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections which are due later this year.</p>

<p>According to a report, Milind Deora decided to resign after meeting Rahul Gandhi, who also resigned from the post of Congress president last week.</p>

<p>"I had accepted MRCC (Mumbai Regional Congress Committee Chief) presidentship in the interest of uniting the party. I felt I should also resign after meeting Rahul Gandhi," he said.</p>

<p>"I have suggested a three-member panel (to oversee the city party unit) and am being consulted by leaders to identify names. I look forward to play&nbsp;a national role to help stabilise the party. Needless to say, I will continue to guide and unite the Mumbai Congress," Deora said.</p>

<p>On March 25, Milind Deora was appointed as president of the Mumbai Congress succeeding Sanjay Nirupam.</p>

<p>Son of former oil minister Murli Deora, Milind Deora contested the Lok Sabha poll from Mumbai-South constituency but lost to Shiv Sena's Arvind Sawant.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Mumbai Congress president Milind Deora tendered his resignation from the post on Sunday. He also said that he is looking forward to playing a role at the "national level to stabilise the party".

Mumbai Congress president Milind Deora tendered his resignation from the post on Sunday. He also said that he is looking forward to playing a role at the "national level to stabilise the party". Mumbai Congress President Milind Deora tenders his resignation from his post. He has also proposed a three member panel to lead Mumbai Congress for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/aPmfaF1LCt — ANI (@ANI) July 7, 2019 × Deora also proposed a three-member panel to lead Mumbai Congress for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections which are due later this year. According to a report, Milind Deora decided to resign after meeting Rahul Gandhi, who also resigned from the post of Congress president last week. "I had accepted MRCC (Mumbai Regional Congress Committee Chief) presidentship in the interest of uniting the party. I felt I should also resign after meeting Rahul Gandhi," he said. "I have suggested a three-member panel (to oversee the city party unit) and am being consulted by leaders to identify names. I look forward to play a national role to help stabilise the party. Needless to say, I will continue to guide and unite the Mumbai Congress," Deora said. On March 25, Milind Deora was appointed as president of the Mumbai Congress succeeding Sanjay Nirupam. Son of former oil minister Murli Deora, Milind Deora contested the Lok Sabha poll from Mumbai-South constituency but lost to Shiv Sena's Arvind Sawant. (With inputs from agencies)

Mumbai Congress president Milind Deora resigns; says looking forward to play national role to help stabilise party

<p>Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday said that he hopes to see another "dynamic youth leader as Congress president to galvanise the party".</p>

<p>He added that the Congress Working Committee (CWC) should "take note of young India's need for a young leader". &nbsp;</p>

<p>"After the unfortunate decision of Rahul Gandhi to quit, hope to see another dynamic youth leader as Congress president to galvanise party. Urge CWC to take note of young India’s need for a young leader, aligned to aspirations of large youth population and with grassroots connect," Singh stated.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Earlier this week, Rahul Gandhi put all speculations and anticipations to end by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/honour-for-me-to-serve-congress-party-rahul-gandhi-tweets-his-resignation-letter-232732">taking to Twitter and posting a mammoth letter</a>, solidifying his decision to stand firm with respect to his resignation as the party chief.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Punjab CM: After unfortunate decision of Rahul Gandhi to quit, hope to see another dynamic youth leader as Congress president to galvanise party. Urge CWC to take note of young India’s need for young leader, aligned to aspirations of large youth population&amp;with grassroots connect <a href="https://t.co/eAg8LvF4Ox">pic.twitter.com/eAg8LvF4Ox</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1147378807336316928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>"It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love. Jai Hind," he said in his tweet which also has a copy of his resignation letter.</p>

<p>"As president of the Congress party, I am responsible for the loss of the 2019 election," Gandhi said in his letter sent to the CWC.</p>

<p>Rahul also removed his designation as Congress president from his official Twitter handle.</p>

<p>Earlier on Wednesday, he had said that Congress should elect a new president without any further delay.</p>

<p>"Party should decide on the new president quickly without further delay, I'm nowhere in this process. I have already submitted my resignation and I am no longer the party president. CWC should convene a meeting at the earliest and decide," he told reporters.</p>


Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday said that he hopes to see another "dynamic youth leader as Congress president to galvanise the party". He added that the Congress Working Committee (CWC) should "take note of young India's need for a young leader".

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday said that he hopes to see another "dynamic youth leader as Congress president to galvanise the party". He added that the Congress Working Committee (CWC) should "take note of young India's need for a young leader". "After the unfortunate decision of Rahul Gandhi to quit, hope to see another dynamic youth leader as Congress president to galvanise party. Urge CWC to take note of young India’s need for a young leader, aligned to aspirations of large youth population and with grassroots connect," Singh stated. Earlier this week, Rahul Gandhi put all speculations and anticipations to end by taking to Twitter and posting a mammoth letter, solidifying his decision to stand firm with respect to his resignation as the party chief. Punjab CM: After unfortunate decision of Rahul Gandhi to quit, hope to see another dynamic youth leader as Congress president to galvanise party. Urge CWC to take note of young India’s need for young leader, aligned to aspirations of large youth population&with grassroots connect pic.twitter.com/eAg8LvF4Ox — ANI (@ANI) July 6, 2019 × "It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love. Jai Hind," he said in his tweet which also has a copy of his resignation letter. "As president of the Congress party, I am responsible for the loss of the 2019 election," Gandhi said in his letter sent to the CWC. Rahul also removed his designation as Congress president from his official Twitter handle. Earlier on Wednesday, he had said that Congress should elect a new president without any further delay. "Party should decide on the new president quickly without further delay, I'm nowhere in this process. I have already submitted my resignation and I am no longer the party president. CWC should convene a meeting at the earliest and decide," he told reporters.

Hope to see dynamic youth leader as Congress president: Amarinder Singh

<p>Madras high court on Friday granted 30-day parole to Nalini Sriharan who is serving life imprisonment in connection with the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.</p>

<p>Nalini was granted parole on condition that during the period she&nbsp;would not be allowed to meet politicians or interact with the media.</p>

<p>On June 25, the HC had granted permission to Nalini to appear in person on July 5 and argue on her plea for six months ordinary leave to make arrangements for her daughter's wedding.</p>

<p>Nalini was initially sentenced to death, however, her death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment by the Tamil Nadu government on April 24, 2000.<br />
<br />
Nalini's argument was that a life convict is entitled to a one-month leave once in two years and since she had never availed such ordinary leave for more than 27 years, she was entitled to take a leave now. She had appealed on February 25 for the six months leave to make arrangements for her daughter's marriage.</p>

<p>She claimed that after commutation of her death sentence, around 3,700 life convicts, who had served 10 years of imprisonment and less, were released by the Tamil Nadu government.</p>

<p>Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a LTTE suicide bomber during an election rally at Sriperumpudur on May 21, 1991.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
<em>(With inputs from PTI)</em></p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Madras high court on Friday granted 30-day parole to Nalini Sriharan who is serving life imprisonment in connection with the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. Nalini was granted parole on condition that during the period she would not be allowed to meet politicians or interact with the media.

Madras high court on Friday granted 30-day parole to Nalini Sriharan who is serving life imprisonment in connection with the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. Nalini was granted parole on condition that during the period she would not be allowed to meet politicians or interact with the media. On June 25, the HC had granted permission to Nalini to appear in person on July 5 and argue on her plea for six months ordinary leave to make arrangements for her daughter's wedding. Nalini was initially sentenced to death, however, her death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment by the Tamil Nadu government on April 24, 2000. Nalini's argument was that a life convict is entitled to a one-month leave once in two years and since she had never availed such ordinary leave for more than 27 years, she was entitled to take a leave now. She had appealed on February 25 for the six months leave to make arrangements for her daughter's marriage. She claimed that after commutation of her death sentence, around 3,700 life convicts, who had served 10 years of imprisonment and less, were released by the Tamil Nadu government. Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a LTTE suicide bomber during an election rally at Sriperumpudur on May 21, 1991. (With inputs from PTI)

Rajiv Gandhi assassination case: Convict Nalini Sriharan granted 30-day parole

<p>BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, the complainant in the National Herald case on Friday sought adjournment during the hearing at Rouse Avenue Court.<br />
<br />
The case will be next heard on August 30. Swamy, who was to be cross-examined by the lawyer of Congress leaders, sought adjournment as the BJP has issued whip in the Rajya Sabha for the Budget session till the Parliament is in session.<br />
<br />
On April 27, the court deferred the hearing in the National Herald case to July 5 after Swamy and counsel for Congress president Rahul Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and other accused sought an adjournment. Sonia and Rahul Gandhi`s lawyer RS Cheema had put 18 questions to Swamy on February 4 in the partly held cross-examination in the court of the ACMM.<br />
<br />
The ACMM`s court was recently shifted from Patiala House to the newly constructed Rouse Avenue court complex. Swamy had filed the case in 2012 accusing the two Gandhis and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds.<br />
<br />
He had stated that the Congress party granted an interest-free loan of Rs 90.25 crore to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), owner of the National Herald newspaper.<br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>


BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, the complainant in the National Herald case on Friday sought adjournment during the hearing at Rouse Avenue Court. The case will be next heard on August 30.

BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, the complainant in the National Herald case on Friday sought adjournment during the hearing at Rouse Avenue Court. The case will be next heard on August 30. Swamy, who was to be cross-examined by the lawyer of Congress leaders, sought adjournment as the BJP has issued whip in the Rajya Sabha for the Budget session till the Parliament is in session. On April 27, the court deferred the hearing in the National Herald case to July 5 after Swamy and counsel for Congress president Rahul Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and other accused sought an adjournment. Sonia and Rahul Gandhi`s lawyer RS Cheema had put 18 questions to Swamy on February 4 in the partly held cross-examination in the court of the ACMM. The ACMM`s court was recently shifted from Patiala House to the newly constructed Rouse Avenue court complex. Swamy had filed the case in 2012 accusing the two Gandhis and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds. He had stated that the Congress party granted an interest-free loan of Rs 90.25 crore to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), owner of the National Herald newspaper.

National Herald case: Subramanian Swamy seeks adjournment, next hearing on August 30

<p>Rahul Gandhi on Thursday pleaded not guilty in connection with a defamation case filed against him in 2017 for allegedly linking journalist Gauri Lankesh's murder with "BJP-RSS ideology".</p>

<p>Gandhi has been released on Rs 15,000 surety amount. Ex-MP Eknath Gaikwad has given surety for him.</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi arrived in Mumbai on Thursday morning, accompanied by Mallikarjun Kharge and Milind Deora.</p>

<p>Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury was also present at the local Mumbai court.</p>

<p>Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Swayam Sevak Dhrutiman Joshi had filed a defamation case against Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Sitaram Yechury and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) for defaming the RSS following the death of Gauri Lankesh.</p>

<p>In the complainant, Dhrutiman Joshi stated that Rahul Gandhi, within 24-hours of the murder of the journalist, criticised the RSS and alleged that "anybody who speaks against the ideology of the BJP, against the ideology of the RSS is pressured, beaten, attacked and even killed."</p>

<p>This is the second defamation case against Rahul Gandhi in Maharashtra.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday tweeted his resignation saying, ''It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party.''</p>


Rahul Gandhi on Thursday pleaded not guilty in connection with a defamation case filed against him in 2017 for allegedly linking journalist Gauri Lankesh's murder with "BJP-RSS ideology".

Rahul Gandhi on Thursday pleaded not guilty in connection with a defamation case filed against him in 2017 for allegedly linking journalist Gauri Lankesh's murder with "BJP-RSS ideology". Gandhi has been released on Rs 15,000 surety amount. Ex-MP Eknath Gaikwad has given surety for him. Rahul Gandhi arrived in Mumbai on Thursday morning, accompanied by Mallikarjun Kharge and Milind Deora. Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury was also present at the local Mumbai court. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Swayam Sevak Dhrutiman Joshi had filed a defamation case against Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Sitaram Yechury and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) for defaming the RSS following the death of Gauri Lankesh. In the complainant, Dhrutiman Joshi stated that Rahul Gandhi, within 24-hours of the murder of the journalist, criticised the RSS and alleged that "anybody who speaks against the ideology of the BJP, against the ideology of the RSS is pressured, beaten, attacked and even killed." This is the second defamation case against Rahul Gandhi in Maharashtra. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday tweeted his resignation saying, ''It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party.''

RSS defamation case: Rahul Gandhi pleads not guilty

<p>A day after Rahul Gandhi made&nbsp;his resignation letter public, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday took to Twitter extending her support to&nbsp;Rahul.</p>

<p>"Few have the courage that you do @rahulgandhi. Deepest respect for your decision," tweeted Priyanka.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Few have the courage that you do <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rahulgandhi</a>. Deepest respect for your decision. <a href="https://t.co/dh5JMSB63P">https://t.co/dh5JMSB63P</a></p>
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/priyankagandhi/status/1146619515339444224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>On Wednesday, Rahul had tweeted his resignation letter as party president, asking Congress to decide on the new party chief without any further delay.</p>

<p>"It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love. Jai Hind," he tweeted.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation.<br />
<br />
I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love.<br />
<br />
Jai Hind 🇮🇳 <a href="https://t.co/WWGYt5YG4V">pic.twitter.com/WWGYt5YG4V</a></p>
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1146359704815194112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Rahul has also removed the tag of party president from his Twitter bio. He changed his bio from "President of Indian National Congress" to "Member of Indian National Congress." "This is the official account of Rahul Gandhi | Member of the Indian National Congress| Member of Parliament," his bio on Twitter now reads.</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi had offered to step down on May 25 at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee after party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections. However, his offer of resignation was unanimously rejected by the CWC.</p>

<p>Despite senior members making serious attempts to convince Rahul Gandhi to reconsider his decision to quit as the party chief, he remained unfazed.</p>

<p>On Tuesday, party workers and leaders staged a sit-in outside Congress headquarters and urged an unrelenting Rahul Gandhi to withdraw his resignation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than 2014 in the outgoing Lok Sabha.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


A day after Rahul Gandhi made his resignation letter public, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday took to Twitter extending her support to Rahul. "Few have the courage that you do @rahulgandhi.

A day after Rahul Gandhi made his resignation letter public, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday took to Twitter extending her support to Rahul. "Few have the courage that you do @rahulgandhi. Deepest respect for your decision," tweeted Priyanka. Few have the courage that you do @rahulgandhi. Deepest respect for your decision. https://t.co/dh5JMSB63P — Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) July 4, 2019 × On Wednesday, Rahul had tweeted his resignation letter as party president, asking Congress to decide on the new party chief without any further delay. "It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love. Jai Hind," he tweeted. It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love. Jai Hind 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/WWGYt5YG4V — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 3, 2019 × Rahul has also removed the tag of party president from his Twitter bio. He changed his bio from "President of Indian National Congress" to "Member of Indian National Congress." "This is the official account of Rahul Gandhi | Member of the Indian National Congress| Member of Parliament," his bio on Twitter now reads. Rahul Gandhi had offered to step down on May 25 at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee after party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections. However, his offer of resignation was unanimously rejected by the CWC. Despite senior members making serious attempts to convince Rahul Gandhi to reconsider his decision to quit as the party chief, he remained unfazed. On Tuesday, party workers and leaders staged a sit-in outside Congress headquarters and urged an unrelenting Rahul Gandhi to withdraw his resignation. The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than 2014 in the outgoing Lok Sabha. (With inputs from agencies)

'Few have the courage': Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Rahul's resignation

<p>As soon as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/honour-for-me-to-serve-congress-party-rahul-gandhi-tweets-his-resignation-letter-232732">Rahul Gandhi tweeted his resignation</a> as Congress president many leaders have expressed their disappointment over the decision.</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday tweeted his resignation saying, ''It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love. Jai Hind.''</p>

<p>The General Secretary of Congress Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted in support of his brother saying, ''Few have the courage that you do @rahulgandhi. Deepest respect for your decision.''</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Few have the courage that you do <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rahulgandhi</a>. Deepest respect for your decision. <a href="https://t.co/dh5JMSB63P">https://t.co/dh5JMSB63P</a></p>
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/priyankagandhi/status/1146619515339444224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Soon after his tweet, Congress leaders urged Gandhi to rethink his decision.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Chief Minister of Rajasthan&nbsp;Ashok Gehlot tweeted, ''Sh.&nbsp;Rahul Gandhi ji’s resignation is very disappointing. He has been leading the party with a clear vision and positive energy. He became the strongest voice of opposition in the country and lead from the front, raising issues crucial for the nation. We all wish that he continues to lead the party as he has been doing, bringing vigour, dynamism and youthful energy at all levels of the party’s organization. We are very hopeful that soon he will return to lead us and take the party forward, to a new and robust future.''</p>

<p>''He will certainly reconsider his decision as the party needs him, as the country needs him to fulfil the role of a very able opposition leader. The defeat in Lok Sabha elections is a collective responsibility and Rahul ji alone cannot be held responsible for it. We all urge him not to hold himself responsible for the same,'' tweet further added.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">He will certainly reconsider his decision as the party needs him, as the country needs him to fulfill the role of a very able opposition leader.<br />
3/</p>
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) <a href="https://twitter.com/ashokgehlot51/status/1146479764779094016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>BJP’s nationalist and communal agenda lead to the results that we saw. Very soon, the nation will realise that the policies espoused by Rahul ji – of peace, unity, harmony- those values will take this Nation to new heights. The Congress party firmly believes in the political acumen of Rahul ji, he had successfully lead party to the victory in the recently held state assembly election in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and that in the recent past also in Gujarat. &nbsp;Once again I am hopeful that Rahul ji will soon return to lead us with same zeal and spirit...We will bounce back and Congress Party would continue to defeat the fascist forces under Rahul ji’s dynamic leadership, tweet concluded.</p>

<p>Mumbai Congress president&nbsp;Milind Deora said, ''People are certainly disappointed, we respect his decision. Party will find the successor. Rahul Gandhi will continue to unite, guide the party and take the party forward. There is no shortage of talent in the Congress party. I am sure we will find a worthy replacement.''</p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-watch-rahul-gandhi-tweets-resignation-232874/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh also showed his disappointment over the resignation and said, ''One electoral defeat could not be taken to define the sum total of the leadership of Rahul. It was not fair for Rahul to hold himself accountable for a collective defeat."</p>

<p>Congress leader Jitin Prasada also urged Gandhi to rethink his decision.&nbsp;</p>

<p>''We appeal to Rahul Gandhi that he should rethink his decision,'' Prasada said.</p>

<p>Rahul also removed his designation as Congress president from his official Twitter handle.</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi had offered to step down on May 25 at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee after party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections.</p>

<p>However, his offer of resignation was unanimously rejected by the CWC.</p>


As soon as Rahul Gandhi tweeted his resignation as Congress president many leaders have expressed their disappointment over the decision. Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday tweeted his resignation saying, ''It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation.

As soon as Rahul Gandhi tweeted his resignation as Congress president many leaders have expressed their disappointment over the decision. Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday tweeted his resignation saying, ''It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love. Jai Hind.'' The General Secretary of Congress Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted in support of his brother saying, ''Few have the courage that you do @rahulgandhi. Deepest respect for your decision.'' Few have the courage that you do @rahulgandhi. Deepest respect for your decision. https://t.co/dh5JMSB63P — Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) July 4, 2019 × Soon after his tweet, Congress leaders urged Gandhi to rethink his decision. Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot tweeted, ''Sh. Rahul Gandhi ji’s resignation is very disappointing. He has been leading the party with a clear vision and positive energy. He became the strongest voice of opposition in the country and lead from the front, raising issues crucial for the nation. We all wish that he continues to lead the party as he has been doing, bringing vigour, dynamism and youthful energy at all levels of the party’s organization. We are very hopeful that soon he will return to lead us and take the party forward, to a new and robust future.'' ''He will certainly reconsider his decision as the party needs him, as the country needs him to fulfil the role of a very able opposition leader. The defeat in Lok Sabha elections is a collective responsibility and Rahul ji alone cannot be held responsible for it. We all urge him not to hold himself responsible for the same,'' tweet further added. He will certainly reconsider his decision as the party needs him, as the country needs him to fulfill the role of a very able opposition leader. 3/ — Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) July 3, 2019 × BJP’s nationalist and communal agenda lead to the results that we saw. Very soon, the nation will realise that the policies espoused by Rahul ji – of peace, unity, harmony- those values will take this Nation to new heights. The Congress party firmly believes in the political acumen of Rahul ji, he had successfully lead party to the victory in the recently held state assembly election in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and that in the recent past also in Gujarat. Once again I am hopeful that Rahul ji will soon return to lead us with same zeal and spirit...We will bounce back and Congress Party would continue to defeat the fascist forces under Rahul ji’s dynamic leadership, tweet concluded. Mumbai Congress president Milind Deora said, ''People are certainly disappointed, we respect his decision. Party will find the successor. Rahul Gandhi will continue to unite, guide the party and take the party forward. There is no shortage of talent in the Congress party. I am sure we will find a worthy replacement.'' Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh also showed his disappointment over the resignation and said, ''One electoral defeat could not be taken to define the sum total of the leadership of Rahul. It was not fair for Rahul to hold himself accountable for a collective defeat." Congress leader Jitin Prasada also urged Gandhi to rethink his decision. ''We appeal to Rahul Gandhi that he should rethink his decision,'' Prasada said. Rahul also removed his designation as Congress president from his official Twitter handle. Rahul Gandhi had offered to step down on May 25 at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee after party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections. However, his offer of resignation was unanimously rejected by the CWC.

Congress leaders disappointed over Rahul Gandhi's resignation, urge to rethink his decision

<p>Nothing is permanent in politics and things can change quickly. Indian politics too is not immune to this dogma. The present crisis in&nbsp;Congress has&nbsp;brought a sidelined player to the centre stage.<br />
<br />
Ahmed Patel served as political secretary to Sonia Gandhi and virtually ran the party for 15 years. 80 per cent of the appointments within the Congress during his heydays were influenced by him. Despite the power he enjoyed, Patel was the most self-effacing and media-shy politician.</p>

<p>He hated his name on papers. He avoided TV to his best but still knew every reporter and editor by name. He continues with this habit but now and then indulges himself with an occasional television byte.</p>

<p>He was systematically sidelined by new Congress president Rahul Gandhi. The new president wanted his team in place and he got one slowly which had more outsiders than ever.</p>

<p>In fact, Rahul&nbsp;sidelined most of the Congress leaders who were associated with Ahmed Patel. Few close to him survived. They survived because they were powerful leaders in their respective states. The best example is Ashok Gehlot. Despite the onslaught and systematic neglect, Ahmed Patel held on to the party. He did not walk away.</p>

<p>He fought Rajya Sabha elections alone without any party support. It is not without significance that it took Rahul Gandhi more than 4 hours to congratulate him. He survived because he had obliged many in the 10 years Congress was in power. He did not make many enemies barring Amit Shah which was unavoidable.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Such was his resilience that he would often snub journalists for writing on all the work he did quietly for Gandhis. Though, he could not save his friend Janardan Dwivedi. It is said that he could not take a stand when Rahul Gandhi was altering the party in his image.</p>

<p>Things changed. Today, there is no leader except him in the Congress who can build a network quietly. He is the only one with whom his contemporaries and chief ministers are willing to talk. He is the glue today which can connect with each and every person in Congress. He may not be able to influence decisions unilaterally the way he did&nbsp;in the past, but he can still bring everyone on the table. The old man is back in the game again.</p>

<p>He still manages to get time to meet Sonia Gandhi. Though there was a time that even Sonia Gandhi was seeing less of him. Now, the party needs him more than ever.</p>

<p>Sonia and Rahul&nbsp;have taken a step back and Priyanka&nbsp;is confined to Uttar Pradesh. Priyanka will have to prove herself to become a contender at the national level. Rahul Gandhi is not a contender today and Sonia Gandhi, much respected will never occupy the centre stage again. In this case, it is Ahmed Patel who has been left with the baby crying. It is him, who is meeting people to create a consensus in the party in the absence of Rahul Gandhi moving away. If one has to understand as to what is happening in Congress, one may need to work their phone lines with Ahmad Patel again.</p>

<p>It is also true that the office of Rahul Gandhi is counting people&nbsp;who demonstrated their loyalty in time of Rahul’s utmost humiliation at hustings. Perhaps, Rahul Gandhi wanted others to resign in large numbers. It did not happen. One reason was&nbsp;that the show of support in Delhi was a big flop. The irony is that it ultimately took Ahmed Patel to create a face-saving exit for 150 loyalists who were sitting in to create pressure on Rahul Gandhi so that he withdraws his resignation.</p>

<p>Ahmed Patel can never be the king. In past, he was the kingmaker. He can play this role for a few more years. The choice is wide open for the party. It can either go for a loyalist and subsequently&nbsp;reignite its love affair with a younger Gandhi or chart a new journey with a new non-dynastic leader who can remake the Congress party. The game is on.<br />
<br />
<em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;</em></p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Nothing is permanent in politics and things can change quickly. Indian politics too is not immune to this dogma. The present crisis in Congress has brought a sidelined player to the centre stage.

Nothing is permanent in politics and things can change quickly. Indian politics too is not immune to this dogma. The present crisis in Congress has brought a sidelined player to the centre stage. Ahmed Patel served as political secretary to Sonia Gandhi and virtually ran the party for 15 years. 80 per cent of the appointments within the Congress during his heydays were influenced by him. Despite the power he enjoyed, Patel was the most self-effacing and media-shy politician. He hated his name on papers. He avoided TV to his best but still knew every reporter and editor by name. He continues with this habit but now and then indulges himself with an occasional television byte. He was systematically sidelined by new Congress president Rahul Gandhi. The new president wanted his team in place and he got one slowly which had more outsiders than ever. In fact, Rahul sidelined most of the Congress leaders who were associated with Ahmed Patel. Few close to him survived. They survived because they were powerful leaders in their respective states. The best example is Ashok Gehlot. Despite the onslaught and systematic neglect, Ahmed Patel held on to the party. He did not walk away. He fought Rajya Sabha elections alone without any party support. It is not without significance that it took Rahul Gandhi more than 4 hours to congratulate him. He survived because he had obliged many in the 10 years Congress was in power. He did not make many enemies barring Amit Shah which was unavoidable. Such was his resilience that he would often snub journalists for writing on all the work he did quietly for Gandhis. Though, he could not save his friend Janardan Dwivedi. It is said that he could not take a stand when Rahul Gandhi was altering the party in his image. Things changed. Today, there is no leader except him in the Congress who can build a network quietly. He is the only one with whom his contemporaries and chief ministers are willing to talk. He is the glue today which can connect with each and every person in Congress. He may not be able to influence decisions unilaterally the way he did in the past, but he can still bring everyone on the table. The old man is back in the game again. He still manages to get time to meet Sonia Gandhi. Though there was a time that even Sonia Gandhi was seeing less of him. Now, the party needs him more than ever. Sonia and Rahul have taken a step back and Priyanka is confined to Uttar Pradesh. Priyanka will have to prove herself to become a contender at the national level. Rahul Gandhi is not a contender today and Sonia Gandhi, much respected will never occupy the centre stage again. In this case, it is Ahmed Patel who has been left with the baby crying. It is him, who is meeting people to create a consensus in the party in the absence of Rahul Gandhi moving away. If one has to understand as to what is happening in Congress, one may need to work their phone lines with Ahmad Patel again. It is also true that the office of Rahul Gandhi is counting people who demonstrated their loyalty in time of Rahul’s utmost humiliation at hustings. Perhaps, Rahul Gandhi wanted others to resign in large numbers. It did not happen. One reason was that the show of support in Delhi was a big flop. The irony is that it ultimately took Ahmed Patel to create a face-saving exit for 150 loyalists who were sitting in to create pressure on Rahul Gandhi so that he withdraws his resignation. Ahmed Patel can never be the king. In past, he was the kingmaker. He can play this role for a few more years. The choice is wide open for the party. It can either go for a loyalist and subsequently reignite its love affair with a younger Gandhi or chart a new journey with a new non-dynastic leader who can remake the Congress party. The game is on. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

The return of Ahmed Patel

<p>The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Thursday said that party leader Tejashwi Yadav will continue as the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly.</p>

<p>RJD spokesperson Bhai Virendra said: "Tejashwi is not a leader who will leave the responsibility of leading the opposition midway."</p>

<p>"If Tejashwi resigns, all party legislators will resign along with him," he added.</p>

<p>The demands for Tejashwi Yadav's resignation have been growing after the party's debacle in the state Assembly and his absence from the state. Leaders of ally Congress and Opposition parties have been demanding his resignation on moral grounds taking responsibility for his party's defeat.</p>

<p>In a series of tweets on Saturday, Yadav assured the people of Bihar that "he was very much there" and was being treated for a ligament and ACL injury.</p>

<p>"We are accountable to people who look for a socialist-secular and social justice alternative in us and wish to assure that we are very much here and the fight is on...Recent developments helped me study, scrutinize, analyse and appraise the things in a different way, " he tweeted.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We are accountable to people who look for a socialist-secular and social justice alternative in us and wish to assure that we are very much here and the fight is on...Recent developments helped me study, scrutinize, analyse and appraise the things in a different way.</p>
— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) <a href="https://twitter.com/yadavtejashwi/status/1144819570500235264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>He further said that RJD will fight with a renewed commitment on everyday life issues of the poor.</p>

<p>"Since it's birth RJD has been at the centre of poor peoples’ struggle and that position is not lost only because of an electoral defeat. Wish to assure people of Bihar as well as our spirited cadre, we are going to fight with renewed commitment on everyday life issues of poor," he tweeted.<br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Since its birth RJD has been at the centre of poor peoples’ struggle and that position is not lost only because of an electoral defeat. Wish to assure people of Bihar as well as our spirited cadre, we are going to fight with renewed commitment on everyday life issues of poor.</p>
— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) <a href="https://twitter.com/yadavtejashwi/status/1144823681396269057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Thursday said that party leader Tejashwi Yadav will continue as the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly. RJD spokesperson Bhai Virendra said: "Tejashwi is not a leader who will leave the responsibility of leading the opposition midway.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Thursday said that party leader Tejashwi Yadav will continue as the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly. RJD spokesperson Bhai Virendra said: "Tejashwi is not a leader who will leave the responsibility of leading the opposition midway." "If Tejashwi resigns, all party legislators will resign along with him," he added. The demands for Tejashwi Yadav's resignation have been growing after the party's debacle in the state Assembly and his absence from the state. Leaders of ally Congress and Opposition parties have been demanding his resignation on moral grounds taking responsibility for his party's defeat. In a series of tweets on Saturday, Yadav assured the people of Bihar that "he was very much there" and was being treated for a ligament and ACL injury. "We are accountable to people who look for a socialist-secular and social justice alternative in us and wish to assure that we are very much here and the fight is on...Recent developments helped me study, scrutinize, analyse and appraise the things in a different way, " he tweeted. We are accountable to people who look for a socialist-secular and social justice alternative in us and wish to assure that we are very much here and the fight is on...Recent developments helped me study, scrutinize, analyse and appraise the things in a different way. — Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) June 29, 2019 × He further said that RJD will fight with a renewed commitment on everyday life issues of the poor. "Since it's birth RJD has been at the centre of poor peoples’ struggle and that position is not lost only because of an electoral defeat. Wish to assure people of Bihar as well as our spirited cadre, we are going to fight with renewed commitment on everyday life issues of poor," he tweeted. Since its birth RJD has been at the centre of poor peoples’ struggle and that position is not lost only because of an electoral defeat. Wish to assure people of Bihar as well as our spirited cadre, we are going to fight with renewed commitment on everyday life issues of poor. — Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) June 29, 2019 ×

Tejashwi Yadav will not leave responsibility of leading opposition midway: RJD

<p>All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary and former Uttarakhand chief minister, Harish Rawat, on Thursday tendered his resignation from his post, taking the responsibility of the party's defeat in 2019 &nbsp;Lok Sabha elections, reported news agency ANI.</p>

<p>The development comes a day after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/honour-for-me-to-serve-congress-party-rahul-gandhi-tweets-his-resignation-letter-232732">Rahul Gandhi had tweeted his resignation</a> letter, asking Congress to appoint a new party chief without any further delay.</p>

<p>Earlier this month, Rawat had said that under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi Congress can go from defeat to victory. "We were not successful, but by strengthening the organisation, we can mount a challenge to the RSS-BJP's malicious propaganda," the former Uttarakhand chief minister had said.</p>

<p>"We were not successful, but by strengthening the organisation, we can mount a challenge to the RSS-BJP's malicious propaganda," the former Uttarakhand chief minister said.</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi had first offered to step down on May 25 at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee after party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections. However, his offer of resignation was unanimously rejected by the CWC.</p>

<p>Despite senior members making serious attempts to convince Rahul Gandhi to reconsider his decision to quit as the party chief, he remained unfazed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than 2014.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
<em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary and former Uttarakhand chief minister, Harish Rawat, on Thursday tendered his resignation from his post, taking the responsibility of the party's defeat in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, reported news agency ANI.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary and former Uttarakhand chief minister, Harish Rawat, on Thursday tendered his resignation from his post, taking the responsibility of the party's defeat in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, reported news agency ANI. The development comes a day after Rahul Gandhi had tweeted his resignation letter, asking Congress to appoint a new party chief without any further delay. Earlier this month, Rawat had said that under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi Congress can go from defeat to victory. "We were not successful, but by strengthening the organisation, we can mount a challenge to the RSS-BJP's malicious propaganda," the former Uttarakhand chief minister had said. "We were not successful, but by strengthening the organisation, we can mount a challenge to the RSS-BJP's malicious propaganda," the former Uttarakhand chief minister said. Rahul Gandhi had first offered to step down on May 25 at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee after party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections. However, his offer of resignation was unanimously rejected by the CWC. Despite senior members making serious attempts to convince Rahul Gandhi to reconsider his decision to quit as the party chief, he remained unfazed. The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than 2014. (With inputs from agencies)

AICC General Secretary Harish Rawat resigns, takes responsibility for Congress's debacle in Lok Sabha elections

India Watch, 3 July, 2019. To know more watch the video.

India Watch, 3rd July, 2019

Ending days of will he, won't he drama, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday officially stepped down from the post of Congress president. Rahul Gandhi wrote a four-page letter in which he reiterated his desire to quit the party top job following a drubbing in the recently held Lok Sabha election.

India Watch: Rahul Gandhi tweets resignation

<p>Rahul Gandhi’s resignation has finally become a reality. It puts an end to the series of embarrassing dharnas which would have continued to take place.&nbsp;</p>

<p>His four-page letter would force the Congress Working Committee to select a new Congress president. Eventually, it will be ratified by the All India Congress Committee where Rahul Gandhi would sit as an ordinary member.&nbsp;</p>

<p>His sister and mother may continue in the party and may even influence the course of decision making, the fact remains that a non-Gandhi would be at the helm of the affair after a long time.</p>

<p>Last time a non-Gandhi was at the helm of affairs, the Indian economy opened up and India was introduced to its architecture Dr. Manmohan Singh.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Congress must not lose this opportunity to rebuild the party. Dynasty indeed has become a baggage and Gandhi’s instead of being assets were turning out to be the dead weights for the party. Rahul Gandhi’s stepping aside can create a collegial style of government.</p>

<p>It is a lesson which Congress can learn from BJP. After Jan Sangh experiment failed BJP was formed in the 1980s.</p>

<p>Top leaders in 1980s were unable to take on Indira and Rajiv Gandhi. Instead of taking them head on they focused on different states where they saw the possibility of making governments on their own.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Coupled with traction drawn from Ram Janmabhoomi Andolan, BJP broke new ground in western and central India. Powerful chief ministers emerged.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Starting from Sundaralal Patwa to Bhairo Singh Shekhawat. The central leadership was collegial in nature. A plethora of strong leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Rajmata Scindhia to LK Advani dominated the Delhi BJP.&nbsp;</p>

<p>They also allowed powerful chief ministers to exist. It is this model which Congress should forward to. Though it may never enjoy a support structure in the form of RSS it can start from scratch.</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi in his letter blamed RSS and their idea of India. Ironically, he himself has been inconsistent in his politics. Much has been written about the loss, but the fact remains that the electorate rejected Rahul Gandhi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He can be appreciated for staying firm on his decision. But a greater challenge lies ahead for the Congress Party. It cannot allow the message to go out that Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi are trying to control the party from a remote.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The message which should go is&nbsp;that Congress as a party can survive without any family or individual.</p>

<p>The idea of family being the centre of a political organisation had made Congress intellectually vain and bankrupt. This self-sustaining ecosystem still exists in Congress. It needs to be broken so that new and real politicians can find space in the new Congress.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The new Congress will need to redefine its ideological core which was unable to recraft itself because of the Nehru Gandhi baggage. PV Narasimha Rao was able to recreate a new foreign and economic policy because he was not burdened by the past.&nbsp;</p>

<p>New party&nbsp;president should try creating a&nbsp;Congress which is not burdened by the personal history of Nehru Gandhi dynasty. Possibilities are immense and Congress leadership should not lose this&nbsp;opportunity to recraft the party and allow subaltern leadership to occupy it's every nook and corner which has been sized by dynasties in every form.&nbsp;</p>

<p>What people would like to see is as to how&nbsp;Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi will work in a Congress run by a non-Gandhi. I’m sure that 1990s cannot be recreated but then in politics everything is possible and if the latter becomes a reality in future then it would become an exercise in futility. Congress needs to be liberated from the dynasty.<br />
<br />
<em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;</em></p>


Rahul Gandhi’s resignation has finally become a reality. It puts an end to the series of embarrassing dharnas which would have continued to take place. His four-page letter would force the Congress Working Committee to select a new Congress president.

Rahul Gandhi’s resignation has finally become a reality. It puts an end to the series of embarrassing dharnas which would have continued to take place. His four-page letter would force the Congress Working Committee to select a new Congress president. Eventually, it will be ratified by the All India Congress Committee where Rahul Gandhi would sit as an ordinary member. His sister and mother may continue in the party and may even influence the course of decision making, the fact remains that a non-Gandhi would be at the helm of the affair after a long time. Last time a non-Gandhi was at the helm of affairs, the Indian economy opened up and India was introduced to its architecture Dr. Manmohan Singh. Congress must not lose this opportunity to rebuild the party. Dynasty indeed has become a baggage and Gandhi’s instead of being assets were turning out to be the dead weights for the party. Rahul Gandhi’s stepping aside can create a collegial style of government. It is a lesson which Congress can learn from BJP. After Jan Sangh experiment failed BJP was formed in the 1980s. Top leaders in 1980s were unable to take on Indira and Rajiv Gandhi. Instead of taking them head on they focused on different states where they saw the possibility of making governments on their own. Coupled with traction drawn from Ram Janmabhoomi Andolan, BJP broke new ground in western and central India. Powerful chief ministers emerged. Starting from Sundaralal Patwa to Bhairo Singh Shekhawat. The central leadership was collegial in nature. A plethora of strong leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Rajmata Scindhia to LK Advani dominated the Delhi BJP. They also allowed powerful chief ministers to exist. It is this model which Congress should forward to. Though it may never enjoy a support structure in the form of RSS it can start from scratch. Rahul Gandhi in his letter blamed RSS and their idea of India. Ironically, he himself has been inconsistent in his politics. Much has been written about the loss, but the fact remains that the electorate rejected Rahul Gandhi. He can be appreciated for staying firm on his decision. But a greater challenge lies ahead for the Congress Party. It cannot allow the message to go out that Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi are trying to control the party from a remote. The message which should go is that Congress as a party can survive without any family or individual. The idea of family being the centre of a political organisation had made Congress intellectually vain and bankrupt. This self-sustaining ecosystem still exists in Congress. It needs to be broken so that new and real politicians can find space in the new Congress. The new Congress will need to redefine its ideological core which was unable to recraft itself because of the Nehru Gandhi baggage. PV Narasimha Rao was able to recreate a new foreign and economic policy because he was not burdened by the past. New party president should try creating a Congress which is not burdened by the personal history of Nehru Gandhi dynasty. Possibilities are immense and Congress leadership should not lose this opportunity to recraft the party and allow subaltern leadership to occupy it's every nook and corner which has been sized by dynasties in every form. What people would like to see is as to how Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi will work in a Congress run by a non-Gandhi. I’m sure that 1990s cannot be recreated but then in politics everything is possible and if the latter becomes a reality in future then it would become an exercise in futility. Congress needs to be liberated from the dynasty. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Congress must not lose this opportunity to rebuild the party

<p>Shortly after asking the Congress to decide the new chief, Rahul Gandhi tweeted his resignation letter as party president.</p>

<p>"It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love. Jai Hind," he said in his tweet which also has a copy of his resignation letter.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation.<br />
<br />
I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love.<br />
<br />
Jai Hind 🇮🇳 <a href="https://t.co/WWGYt5YG4V">pic.twitter.com/WWGYt5YG4V</a></p>
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1146359704815194112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>As president of the Congress party, I am responsible for the loss of the 2019 election, Rahul has said in his letter sent to the Congress Working Committee, the party's highest decision-making body. The Congress won just 52 of the 542 Lok Sabha seats in the April-May general elections.</p>

<p>Rahul also removed his designation as Congress president from his official Twitter handle.</p>

<p>Earlier on Wednesday, he had said that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/party-should-decide-on-the-new-congress-president-quickly-says-rahul-gandhi-232690">Congress should elect</a> a new president without any further delay.</p>

<p>"Party should decide on the new president quickly without further delay, I'm nowhere in this process. I have already submitted my resignation and I am no longer the party president. CWC should convene a meeting at the earliest and decide," he told reporters.</p>

<p>The crisis in Congress has been going on for week as Rahul has refused to listen to calls from party leaders to reconsider his decision to resign.</p>

<p>On Tuesday, party workers and leaders staged a sit-in outside Congress headquarters and urged an unrelenting Rahul Gandhi to withdraw his resignation.</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi had offered to step down on May 25 at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee after party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections.</p>

<p>However, his offer of resignation was unanimously rejected by the CWC.</p>


Shortly after asking the Congress to decide the new chief, Rahul Gandhi tweeted his resignation letter as party president. "It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation.

Shortly after asking the Congress to decide the new chief, Rahul Gandhi tweeted his resignation letter as party president. "It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love. Jai Hind," he said in his tweet which also has a copy of his resignation letter. It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love. Jai Hind 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/WWGYt5YG4V — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 3, 2019 × As president of the Congress party, I am responsible for the loss of the 2019 election, Rahul has said in his letter sent to the Congress Working Committee, the party's highest decision-making body. The Congress won just 52 of the 542 Lok Sabha seats in the April-May general elections. Rahul also removed his designation as Congress president from his official Twitter handle. Earlier on Wednesday, he had said that Congress should elect a new president without any further delay. "Party should decide on the new president quickly without further delay, I'm nowhere in this process. I have already submitted my resignation and I am no longer the party president. CWC should convene a meeting at the earliest and decide," he told reporters. The crisis in Congress has been going on for week as Rahul has refused to listen to calls from party leaders to reconsider his decision to resign. On Tuesday, party workers and leaders staged a sit-in outside Congress headquarters and urged an unrelenting Rahul Gandhi to withdraw his resignation. Rahul Gandhi had offered to step down on May 25 at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee after party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections. However, his offer of resignation was unanimously rejected by the CWC.

Honour for me to serve Congress party: Rahul Gandhi tweets his resignation letter

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