Rahul Gandhi stuck to his decision to resign as Congress president, saying he did it to ensure accountability for the party’s Lok Sabha poll debacle and there was no question of going back on it.
He made the comments during a meeting with leaders from Haryana state coordination committee who urged him to continue to lead the party and take back his resignation.
“I have resigned after taking full responsibility and ensuring accountability for the party’s defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. I cannot ask others to resign too. It is up to them if they want to take responsibility,” he told the leaders.He added there was no question of going back on his decision.
The Congress did not win a single Lok Sabha seat out of 10 in Haryana. Ashok Tanwar continues to be the state Congress chief and has not quit despite his tenure coming to an end.
Mr Gandhi, in the presence of UPA chairperson and his mother Sonia Gandhi, told his party’s Lok Sabha members that he was no longer the Congress president as he had resigned.
He had said it was up to the Congress Working Committee, the party’s highest decision-making body, to decide on selecting the new president.
When some MPs told him that leaders would start resigning, Mr Gandhi said, “If someone wants to leave the party, they are free to do so today instead of tomorrow. I am here and would continue to be in the party and work for the Congress.”