Maharashtra Cong stands by Gandhi family
THE LETTER SEEKING FULL-TIME LEADERSHIP WAS SIGNED BY 23 LEADERS, INCLUDING STATE’S FORMER CHIEF MINISTER PRITHVIRAJ CHAVAN AND FORMER UNION MINISTERS MUKUL WASNIK AND MILIND DEORA
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Congress is largely standing by the Gandhi family to continue handling the reins of the party, even though three prominent signatories to the letter sent by senior Congress leaders to party president Sonia Gandhi seeking fulltime leadership are from the state.
The letter was signed by 23 leaders, including state’s former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and former union ministers Mukul Wasnik and Milind Deora. After the letter became public, prominent Congress leaders in Maharashtra, including state Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat, former chief minister Ashok Chavan and others, pledged their support to the Gandhi family and even demanded that Rahul Gandhi should return at the helm. Congress minister Sunil Kedar warned dissidents that the party cadre will not let them move anywhere in the state if they do not apologise to the Gandhi family.
Late on Sunday evening, the Maharashtra Congress passed a resolution requesting Sonia
Gandhi to continue as the Congress president.
“In case, she refuses our request, we would seek Shri Rahulji Gandhi to immediately take over as AICC president...not only the Congress party but entire country needs Rahul Gandhi’s leadership,” said the resolution proposed by Thorat and seconded by Ashok Chavan. The meeting was held on an online platform in the presence of AICC general secretary Mallikarjun Kharge who is in charge of Maharashtra.
“Rahulji should now lead the Congress .... Sonia ji’s struggle and hard work is an inspiration for members of Congress, like us. Until Rahul ji takes over as fulltime president, Sonia ji should lead the Congress family as the interim president,” said Thorat.
“Leadership of the Gandhinehru family is essential to keep the country and Congress united. They have been great custodians of the party and it has been proven many times in history. It is crucial that the party moves forward with this reality in mind,” said public works minister and former chief minister Ashok Chavan. “CWC will take appropriate decision about the post of Congress president, but the popular voice within the party suggests that Shri Rahul Gandhi ji should take charge as the president,” he said.
The three dissenters from state chose not to comment as the CWC meeting was in progress in Delhi. One of them, on condition of anonymity, said they had only demanded a full-time president. “Our letter is clear. We have requested some changes and a full-time president who also should be available to party workers. We are very happy if Mrs Gandhi or Rahul ji takes over full time. If Sonia ji is not ready, then Rahul ji must withdraw his resignation and say that he is willing to be the Congress president full-time and will be available to workers. Our concern is that if both are not ready, then something has to be done,” he said.
“I wholeheartedly support Hon. Sonia Gandhi ji as president. It is shameful of Mukul Wasnik, Prithviraj Chavan and Milind Deora to raise questions on the leadership of the Gandhi family. These leaders must apologise for their act immediately. Otherwise Congress workers will see how they move in the state freely,” Kedar said in a series of tweets.
The three leaders are yet to respond to the criticism made by Kedar, an MLA from Nagpur district.
Vijay Wadettiwar, another Congress minister in the state government, went on to say that they would quit state government the moment Rahul Gandhi orders them to do so.
“The government wouldn’t have been formed if Rahul ji didn’t approve of the coalition. Even today if he takes up the party chief position and decides to quit the government, we will move out the very next moment,” he told reporters.