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ongress President, Rahul Gandhi’s offer to resign sons ahead of the interest of the party. In his line of fire were
from the post of party chief and refusing to take Chief Ministers Ashok Gehlot and Kamal Nath and former Fi-
back resignation all these days, taking entire re- nance Minister P Chidambaram.
sponsibility for the 2019 Lok Sabha poll rout, has Rahul Gandhi immediately refused to accept the
Cevoked a sense of déjà vu. The reason this is a re- suggestion that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra could take
peat of 2014 when Congress got its worst ever tally of 44 seats over the presidentship of the party and reportedly
in Lok Sabha. This was a historic low for India’s grand old party shot back at the AICC meeting “why only from Gan-
and the fact that the Congress couldn’t even claim the post of dhi family”. In fact, taking an uncompromising stand,
the Leader of the Opposition as a party needs to win 10 per cent Rahul also asked the CWC to choose a new leader from outside
of Lok Sabha seats 55 to be precise to be able to claim the post of the Gandhi family. However, the proposal was unanimously
the Leader of the Opposition. turned down.
The party was 11 short of even this claim. In 2019,
the party slightly improved its tally to 52 but was
still short by three seats to claim the post of leader of There has been no change
opposition in Lok Sabha.
After 2014 results, the then Congress President, Sonia Gandhi in the situation since
had offered to resign from the post of party chief. The Congress Rahul offered to resign
Working Committee (CWC) had not only rejected the offer but
also reposed faith in her leadership. However, she continued during the Congress
as party boss for some time till the baton was passed on to her
son Rahul Gandhi who was seen as the challenger to Narendra Working Committee
Modi.
meeting on May 25. The
Why Rahul Resigned? CWC has rejected his
Long seen as a reluctant politician, Rahul Gandhi
began earning rave praise for being more mature, and not the re- offer but he is apparently
luctant prince of the yore. Of course, not many gave Rahul Gan-
dhi a shot at the Prime Minister’s Office. But, many hoped that firm on his stand
he could at least script a turnaround for the Congress. However,
it was only a wishful thinking as in the 2019 Lok Sabha election,
the Congress improved on its 2014 tally by just eight seats, win-
ning 52 Lok Sabha seats. This time as well, the party will not be
able to claim the post of the Leader of the Opposition. What hurt FiRm on stand
Rahul Gandhi most was that he lost the Congress stronghold of Rahul Gandhi has refused to budge from his stand in the after-
Amethi to Smriti Irani. Perhaps that explains Rahul Gandhi’s math of Congress poor performance and saffron surge across
reported desire to quit as party president. the country. It all began with party president Rahul Gandhi ac-
A pall of gloom hangs heavy over 24 Akbar Road, Delhi. Rahul cepting responsibility for the defeat and pointing out that the
Gandhi continues to be adamant and has refused to withdraw Congress had done badly in states where it was in power like
his resignation from the post of Congress president. In the wake Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The blame game
of Bharatiya Janata Party’s massive Lok Sabha 2019 victory, shows no signs of ebbing with Rajasthan CM Ashok
the Congress seems adrift, rudderless, totally at sea. The chest- Gehlot blaming his deputy Sachin Pilot for son
beating among Congress courtiers collected at the party head- Vaibhav’s defeat in the Lok Sabha polls. The escala-
quarters has not stopped since May 25 when Rahul Gandhi had tion shows the party president’s observation has gone
made the surprise announcement. unheeded even as Gehlot’s son trailed in the Assembly segment
What was different this time was Rahul’s tough talk as he represented by his father.
targeted certain senior leaders for putting the interests of their Even in Punjab, where Congress has done well

tehelka / 30 june 2019 14 www.tehelka.com