Delhi Mahila Congress wants Rahul Gandhi to return as party chief amid leadership crisis

Following in the footsteps of the Indian Youth Congress and the NSUI, the Delhi Mahila Congress passed a resolution on Monday for Rahul Gandhi to be made Congress president again. Leaders such as Mahila Morcha acting chief Netta D'Souza, Mahila Congress general secretary Shamina Shafiq and Delhi Mahila Congress president Amrita Dhawan were present in the state executive meeting where this resolution was passed. Reading out the resolution, Dhawan lauded the Wayanad MP's stance vis-à-vis women's issues. 

Congress leader Amrita Dhawan remarked, "All of us feel that Rahul Gandhi should be made the party president. All of us know that women feel confident that Rahul Gandhi honestly speaks about the respect and rights of women. This honesty separates him from the other leaders. We hope that Rahul Gandhi will guarantee the political participation of women." 

On September 6, the Indian Youth Congress also resolved that Rahul Gandhi should take charge of the Congress party. This was followed by a similar resolution passed by Congress' student wing NSUI on September 12 which stressed that students feel "safe and secure" under Gandhi's "visionary leadership". It added, "We recognise Rahul Gandhi's dedication to India's students and re-affirm our faith in his keen leadership abilities and statesmanship under which India can reach the pinnacle of success developing into a more sustainable and peaceful society".

Congress leadership crisis

After being at the helm of affairs for 19 years which witnessed the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance emerging victorious in 2004 as well as the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Sonia Gandhi's son Rahul Gandhi assumed charge in December 2017. Following a series of defeats in state elections combined with the disastrous performance of Congress in the 2019 General elections, Rahul Gandhi announced his decision to step down. After attempts to persuade him to take back his resignation failed, Sonia Gandhi assumed interim charge in August 2019.

In a letter addressed to Sonia Gandhi on August 23, 2020, 23 senior party leaders observed that the uncertainly over the leadership and the drift in the party have weakened Congress and demoralized the workers. The letter mentioned many suggestions such as the need for a full-time leadership available at the national and state headquarters and conducting elections at all levels including the Congress Working Committee. Despite the high-octane drama at the CWC meeting, it was decided that the Rae Bareli MP will continue as the interim president at least until the next AICC session is convened.

Far from addressing concerns, the CWC on January 22 stated that the election to the post of party president will be held only after the conclusion of the Assembly polls in Assam, Puducherry, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. When the party's apex decision-making body met on May 10, the CWC delayed the process for electing a new party supremo indefinitely amid the COVID-19 crisis. The resolution mentioned that given the “nationwide emergent conditions prevailing on account of unprecedented Corona pandemic”, the party must channelize all its energies towards relief measures and “defer the elections temporarily”.