After its drubbing by the BJP in the recent Lok Sabha elections, Congress is a party in crisis, so on Wednesday, key Congress leaders held a crucial meet under the chairmanship of AK Antony and concluded that they will not let Rahul Gandhi leave the post of party president.
"Rahul Gandhi was, is, and will remain the president of the Congress. Nobody should have any doubt about it," said party media in-charge, Randeep Surjewala after the meeting.
Sources said that after giving a few days' rest to Rahul — currently in London for the remainder of the week — the party will appoint either two working presidents or a group of senior leaders to help and share his workload.
The idea is to evolve a system that can help the party run efficiently despite less indulgence of the party president and the party can be made stronger at the grassroots level, sources added.
The meeting, held amid the conspicuous absence of reluctant president Rahul, deliberated in detail about the current political scenario that finds Congress fighting for the survival of its government in three states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Karnataka.
When asked about Rahul's absence, Surjewala clarified that it was a not a core committee meeting, but an informal meeting of senior Congress leaders. All the core committees have been dismantled after the Lok Sabha elections, he added.
