The Congress Working Committee met on Monday to discuss the next leader who would take over as the Party President. However, there has been a major rift in the party meeting.
The former president of the party, Rahul Gandhi intervened at the meeting and questioned the timing of a letter signed by 20 top party leaders who were allegedly targeting the Gandhi leadership. The letter came after the interim President of the party, Sonia Gandhi, asked to be relieved from the post. Rahul Gandhi further accused the signatories of colluding with the BJP.
The letter has divided the congress party in two – those who are loyalists of the Gandhi family and the dissenters who have called for a new president. The latter has been attacked by the former for colluding with the BJP. However, the interim chief Sonia Gandhi has repeatedly said that she would not want to continue as the Congress President and Rahul Gandhi too is not keen to assume the post. It is also said that Priyanka Gandhi is also reluctant to take up the leadership.
There were only two people who led the Congress party who were non-Gandhi and they were PV Narasimha Rao and Siyaram Kesri. The party is well and truly looking to elect a non-Gandhi president and we look at the possible candidates.
Mallikarjun Kharge
The senior leader of the Congress party has been seen as a possible candidate. He has been in the party high command for a long time. He also comes from the state of Karnataka, the state which has a significant congress hold.
Ashok Gehlot
If speculations are to be believed, the current Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is the favorite candidate to assume the post of Congress party president.
Shashi Tharoor
One of the vocal leaders of the party and current MP of Thiruvananthapuram is also one of the top contenders for the post. However, the one thing that might go against Tharoor is his lack of appeal on the Hindi heartland.
Ghulam Nabi Azad
One of the most respected leaders inside the party, Ghulam Nabi Azad is probably going to be the first choice of the party’s high command. However, the sources say that the party is unlikely to appoint a Muslim as a party president.
Source: India.com
