More resignation in Congress

PTI, Jun 30, 2019, 9:55 AM IST

New Delhi: The spate of resignations in the Congress party continued on Saturday with Chhattisgarh in-charge PL Punia and Kisan Congress chief Nana Patola resigning from their posts to help party chief Rahul Gandhi restructure the outfit. On the day, Rahul Gandhi met leaders from Maharashtra regarding the party’s preparations for the upcoming assembly elections.

Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan later told the media that their alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party was almost final but the seat sharing was yet to be decided. The former chief minister said the party leaders from Maharashtra discussed the upcoming state polls at Gandhi’s residence.

He said the party was open to talks with the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi. A number of Congress leaders had on Friday tendered their resignations. On Saturday, Punia said all CWC members have already asked Rahul Gandhi to restructure the party at all levels and they naturally have resigned.

Senior Congress leader from Punjab Partap Singh Bajwa also resigned from his post as vice chairman of the AICC foreign affairs department, urging all office bearers to resign in order to strengthen Rahul Gandhi’s hands in reviving the party.

“One must, of course, practice what they preach. In that vein, I am tendering my resignation from the post of vice-chairman, AICC Foreign Affairs Department. As a senior member of the party, I take responsibility for the state we are in today, and commit myself to the deep structural changes that we are in dire need of.

“I urge Rahul Gandhi ji, to take charge once again, and build an organisation that is free of all feudal and inter-personal rivalries,” Bajwa said in his resignation letter to Congress General Secretary organisation KC Venugopal.

“But Congress president’s resignation has not had the intended effect. I am of the firm view that all party office bearers should follow Rahul-ji’s lead and resign. This includes the CWC, all Congress chief ministers and all state chiefs,” Bajwa said.

Earlier today, AICC Kisan cell chairman Nana Patole and AICC in-charge of Chhattisgarh PL Punia also sent their resignations. A spate of resignations came from Uttar Pradesh, where deputy leader of the CLP Aradhna Mishra and former minister Ranjit Singh among several other UP Congress functionaries resigned.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that Rahul Gandhi may meet Congress chief ministers on Monday.