Congress veterans pick Rahul Gandhi as ‘No 1’ choice after CWC outs presidential poll dates

Rahul Gandhi is the “number one” and the “only” choice to take over the reins of the Congress, senior leader Salman Khurshid said on Sunday as the Congress Working Committee – the party’s highest decision-making body – announced the poll schedule to pick the party chief.

The election is long-pending since Rahul Gandhi resigned following the 2019 Lok Sabha debacle, handing over the reins to mother Sonia Gandhi, who is the interim chief of the party.

“Rahul Gandhi remains ‘number one’ and ‘only’ choice of Congress rank and file to take over as party chief,” news agency PTI quoted Khurshid as saying.

Khurshid also said efforts would be made to persuade Rahul Gandhi to take over Congress presidency once he is back from his trip abroad. Rahul Gandhi has accompanied his mother Sonia Gandhi abroad for a medical check-up.

“We haven’t got into any conversations beyond that…we have no indications as to whether he will accept our request. Today, it was not possible to dwell on that because it was just the scheduling and it was all very difficult because it was a hybrid meeting,” said Khurshid, a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee.

“When he comes back I am sure we would want to persuade him,” Khurshid said.

The Congress after a meeting of the party’s working committee earlier in the day announced that the election for its president will be held on October 17, while the counting will take place two days later.

Echoing similar sentiments, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge voiced his support for Rahul Gandhi as the chief as the party gears up for the general elections of 2024.

“Along with all the Congress workers, it’s my personal opinion that Rahul Gandhi should take the lead and become Congress president. He can unify and strengthen the Congress party.”