Delhi Congress passes resolution to make Rahul Gandhi party President

Days after Congress Working Committee announced plans to hold an election to party president post by June this year, Delhi Congress on Sunday passed a resolution requesting Rahul Gandhi to take over as party chief.

The resolution was passed at a meeting of senior leaders to deliberate on the current political situation. The meeting also passed separate resolutions demanding the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The Delhi Congress has become the first state unit to pass such a resolution after the Congress Working Committee earlier this month resolved to hold elections to the post of Congress president by June this year. Rahul has so far not indicated that he is willing to return as Congress President, which he quit after the Lok Sabha poll debacle.

Delhi Congress chief Anil Kumar moved the resolutions, including the one on Rahul to take over as the President of the Congress at the earliest.

"Considering the disturbed and dangerous political situation in the country, Congress needs a dynamic and powerful leader like Rahul Gandhi at the helm, to lead the party forcefully, to counter the communal, authoritarian and undemocratic forces, trying to take the country on the path of destruction," Kumar said moving the resolution.

He also said that Rahul has been waging a "determined battle to expose the misdeeds of the Modi government" and his leading from the front as the Congress President was an "urgent need to boost the confidence and morale" of Congress workers.

The resolution said that the Congress-led by Rahul had forcefully protested against the black anti-farmer laws inside and outside Parliament, and backed the farmers’ agitation, demanding the repeal of the laws.

Kumar also said some anti-social elements "backed by the Modi government had penetrated into the peaceful tractor rally to indulge in violence" at ITO and Red Fort, in a bid to "defame and discredit the peaceful agitation" by the farmers, and thereafter at the Ghaziabad and Singhu borders to forcefully evict the farmers.