Adamant Rahul Gandhi asks Congress top leadership to look for another president: Sources

Congress President Rahul Gandhi has said that the party will have to find a new chief as he will not change his mind about stepping down from the post of the party chief.

Rahul Gandhi, who informed Congress about his decision to quit following the Lok Sabha election results has refused to meet the party's newly-elected lawmakers.

According to sources, Rahul Gandhi has not changed his mind, despite several Congress leaders asking him to remain at the post of the Congress chief. Officially, the party told reporters on Saturday that Rahul Gandhi's resignation offer had been unanimously rejected.

"Rahul Gandhi met senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel and KC Venugopal and told them that the party will have to find a new chief as his decision stands firm," said sources.

Congress asked the media to respect the sanctity of the closed-door meeting of its working committee and not fall into the trap of speculations and wait for the efforts by the Congress party towards a future course of action.

Rahul Gandhi has reportedly made it clear to the party that he would not vanish and would continue to work for Congress.

"It is not necessary that the president should be from Gandhi family," sources quoted him as saying firmly.

When Priyanka Gandhi's name came up as an alternative, Rahul Gandhi reportedly said, "Don't drag my sister into it."

Senior leaders of Congress, however, believe that the Gandhi family is the only binding force which keeps the Congress party together.

Meanwhile, the presidents of Congress state units of UP, Odisha, Punjab, and Jharkhand have stepped down taking moral responsibility for the poor performance of the Congress in the Lok Sabha 2019 elections in their respective states.

State presidents of Punjab Congress and the Assam Congress have offered to resign.