Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, through a tweet, informed that the resignations were sought to “facilitate the reorganisation” of the state Congress units.
New Delhi: Days after a poor shown in the Assembly elections in the five states, Congress president Sonia Gandhi Tuesday asked the party presidents of the five states to step down. According to party sources, the move was initiated as a first step towards “reorganisation” ahead of the forthcoming polls, including the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, through a tweet, informed that the resignations were sought to “facilitate the reorganisation” of the state Congress units.
Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, Uttarakhand Congress chief Ganesh Godiyal, Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar, Manipur Congress chief Loken Singh and Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu were asked to resign, said party officials.
As per sources, the party considers Punjab’s loss as the worst as it collapsed after months of infighting mainly between Navjot Singh Sidhu and Captain Amarinder Singh. It is also believed that Captain Singh’s eleventh-hour replacement by Charanjit Singh Channi also cost the party, said Congress insiders.
When the infighting started, Sidhu was the Punjab Congress chief while Captain Singh was the chief minister of the state. The party failed to put up a credible fight in the remaining four states too where it had hoped for a comeback.
In a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Sunday evening, it was decided that Sonia Gandhi will continue to hold the top position of the party. In the past, however, Gandhi had offered to quit but it was rejected by the CWC. A rebel group within the party reportedly wants changes in the leadership and reforms in the party.
“There was a detailed discussion about the poll results in the five states and it was decided that Sonia Gandhi will continue as the party president. It was also discussed as to how should the party be taken forward and how to prepare for the upcoming elections,” party’s Goa in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao had said after the CWC meeting.
