Chief ministers of 5 Congress-ruled states meet Rahul Gandhi, offer to step down

Rahul Gandhi remained firm on his decision to resign as Congress president when he met the chief ministers of the five states ruled by the party on Monday. This was the first time that the Congress president met the CMs since the partys poor show in the Lok Sabh elections. Chief ministers of Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Puducherry met Rahul Gandhi to discuss the 2019 poll debacle and convey to him that party workers want him to continue as the party president. Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot addressed the media after the two-hour long meeting. Gehlot said that they apprised Rahul Gandhi about the feelings of Congress workers across the country. Gehlot also said that they own up to the partys defeat in the general elections and have offered to resign. With regard to elections, it is always the high command which takes decisions on the future course of action. The entire working committee had authorised Rahul Gandhi to take whatever decision he wants Whatever he wants to do, that decision was taken on May 25 (at the CWC meeting). That is not an issue for discussion now, During the meeting, Rahul Gandhi accused Gehlot and Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath of putting their sons ahead of the interests of the party, the Indian Express reported. Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy, however, told The Indian Express that Nath and Gehlot did not offer to resign during the meeting. Congress suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections. The grand old party could win only 52 of the 547 seats, while BJP emerged victorious in 303. Since Rahul Gandhi announced his decision to step down as party chief on May 25, over 200 Congress leaders and workers have resigned from their posts.