'We want Rahul Gandhi to lead': AICC authorises Congress chief to forge alliances ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls

The extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) authorised Congress president Rahul Gandhi to forge alliances with like-minded parties for 2019 Lok Sabha polls, according to several media reports. Following the CWC meeting , AICC general secretary Ashok Gehlot said Rahul has been authorised to form an election campaign committee and take decisions on both pre-poll and post-poll alliances. According to a report in CNN-News 18, Rahul said a committee has been formed to look into the alliances.

Confirming the push for Mahagathbandhan, Congress party spokesperson Ambika Soni said, “We want our party president to lead the future alliance.”

Other Congress leaders such as Sachin Pilot, Shakti Singh and Ramesh Chennithala said that the party should enter into a strategic alliance, with the Congress at the centre and Gandhi as the face of the alliance,  ANI reported.

[caption id=“attachment_4793641” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh at the CWC meet on Sunday. Twitter @INCIndia[/caption] Earlier, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala, who tweeted comments of various Congress leaders at the internal party meeting, said Rahul urged Congress workers to “rise and fight” for India’s oppressed. Speaking at the meet, former prime minister and senior Congress leader  Manmohan Singh rejected the culture of constant self-praise and ‘jumlas’ of Narendra Modi as against solid policy framework for driving the engine of growth. Meanwhile, Congress leader Raj Babbar said, “Only Congress can oppose the BJP and RSS. Congress is not a party, it’s an ideology. Rahul will decide everything about alliances. If RSS has ever lost to someone then it’s the thinking of Congress. We should keep this in mind and take everyone ahead with those thoughts, which is to save the Constitution.” Maharashtra Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said that the meeting went on for a long time. “Rahul showed a lot of energy and confidence. Congress will take lead in uprooting the BJP and RSS. We will do this with love and not hatred. We have given all authority to Rahul Gandhi to take decisions to form alliances,” Chavan said. “All in all, it was a good meeting. We spoke about a lot of issues including unemployment and farmers. We also decided that an alliance is needed for the upcoming 2019 elections,” Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said. With inputs from PTI