Congress does not rule out Rahul Gandhi becoming party president

New Delhi: Congress on Friday did not rule out the possibility of Rahul Gandhi becoming the next party chief in place of Sonia Gandhi amidst such demands from within the party.

“Both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are our respected leaders. The party has a constitution and organisational elections are due,” party spokesperson Shobha Oza told reporters, leaving the issue open.

She was responding when asked to comment on AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh’s remark that he was of “firm” opinion that Rahul should become the party President.

“I have been saying for a long time and even today I maintain my words. I am firm that Rahul Gandhi has handled the responsibility of Vice President and my request to Congress leadership and Sonia Gandhiji is that he should be given the responsibility of the AICC,” he had said on Thursday.

Organisational polls are set to begin in two months and these would culminate in the election of a new President for Congress in August-September. An AICC meeting is likely to take place as early as March this year.

68-year-old Sonia Gandhi is the longest-serving party chief being at the helm since March 1998. Rahul, 44 years old, was made the Vice President of Congress in January 2013 at the Jaipur Chintan Shivir of the party.

PTI