Hyderabad: The Congress party units in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh came out fully in support of the Gandhi family in the wake of developments at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting Monday.
Party’s Telangana unit chief Uttam Kumar Reddy hailed the decision of Sonia Gandhi to continue as the party President for next six months. He said in the next All India Congress Committee (AICC) session, Rahul Gandhi would be elected the party chief.
The Andhra Pradesh unit of the Congress also welcomed the decision of Sonia Gandhi to continue to lead the party for next six months and wished that Rahul Gandhi return as the party chief.
Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Sake Sailajanath said Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi should continue to lead the party.
Earlier in the day, he wrote a letter to Sonia Gandhi requesting her to continue as “there is no other leader in the Congress to give a strong leadership.”
“The APCC unanimously resolved and holds a strong belief that you should continue to lead the party as Congress President at this crucial juncture. But if you have made up your mind otherwise and a change is inevitable, I believe that Rahul Gandhi ji should come forward and take up the responsibility of Congress President since the party needs him to lead the struggle from the front as the country faces the biggest challenge ever to its secular democracy and the Constitution,” he said.
“I wish to strongly reiterate the fact that currently no other leader in the Congress can give the party a strong leadership and any move to deprive the party of an able, visionary and courageous leadership would give advantage to the divisive and dictatorial forces. Moreover, Rahul ji had already proved that he had guts and the commitment to take on the treacherous enemy with courage and conviction and that he was fully competent to lead the party to success,” Sailajanath added.
Top Congress leaders in both the states were closely following the developments in the CWC meeting through the day and were unanimous in their support for Gandhi family.
They slammed those who dashed off the letters before the CWC meeting calling for “continuous and visible leadership”. Uttam Kumar Reddy, who is also a Member of Parliament, said the leaders could have used the other platform to express their opinion.
Reddy had said that only the Gandhi family can hold the party together. He had also said that in the event of Sonia Gandhi stepping down as the party President at CWC meeting, Rahul Gandhi should immediately take over.
Reddy, a staunch Rahul Gandi supporter, had described him as a leader who is humble, courageous, visionary, a leader who fights the fascists and a leader who stands up for the weak.
Several leaders said it can only be Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi who can lead the party at the crucial juncture in the fight against the divisive forces.
Party’s national spokesperson Sravan Dasoju had also wished that Rahul Gandhi come forward to lead the party.
However, the leaders declined to comment on the reported developments in the party meeting including the criticism of letter-writers by Rahul Gandhi, who reportedly accused them of colluding with the BJP.
“Since the party has denied the reports, it is not proper to comment on them,” said a senior leader.
IANS