Sonia Gandhi likely to resign as Congress party president

Congress party president Sonia Gandhi has told her associates that she does not want to continue as interim Congress president. This is according to party sources.

A massive controversy has broken out over a letter by over 20 top party leaders calling for massive changes, introspection and a full-time, visible leadership. Sonia Gandhi, 73, will either resign immediately or give the party a deadline to find a new chief. Mrs Gandhi has decided that the matter will be discussed at the Working Committee meeting today.

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) will meet online. This comes three weeks after a rocky meeting where leaders clashed over the party’s political decline.

Among those who have signed the letter are members of parliament, former ministers and chief ministers, and members of the CWC. The senior party leaders have said they are unhappy with “uncertainty” and “drift” in the party. They have called for an “honest introspection”, “collective leadership”, and said that youth are losing confidence in the party.

Last week the Congress dismissed a tweet by suspended leader Sanjay Jha that said some 100 Congress leaders had written to Sonia Gandhi asking for a change in the political leadership. Jha was sacked as party spokesperson last month after he publicly criticised the party which was in the turmoil over Sachin Pilot‘s revolt.

Last year, Sonia Gandhi reluctantly took charge as interim president after her son Rahul Gandhi resigned as Congress chief after the party’s performed badly in the Lok Sabha election for the second consecutive time.

Discontent within the Congress has grown over the last year with a number of leaders unhappy with the way it is being run and the lack of direction, according to sources.