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India's opposition Congress backs Gandhi after poll defeat
Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, scion of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, offered to resign on Saturday after his Congress party was trounced in a second straight national election but the gesture was rejected, party officials said.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi triumphantly accepted pledges of allegiance from members of allied parties after his second landslide win, Congress leaders licked their wounds at a special meeting in New Delhi.
“Party President Rahul Gandhi offered his resignation but it was unanimously rejected by the members of Congress Working Commission,” Randeep Surjewala, a party spokesman, told reporters.
Gandhi led the party campaign against Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but managed only 52 seats, barely more than the historic low of 44 in the 2014 election.
The BJP increased its majority, taking 303 of the 543 elected seats announced Friday, up from 282.
“In a democracy wins and losses keep happening but providing leadership is a different matter. He gave leadership,” senior Congress member Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters after the meeting.
Azad said party barons at the meeting, including Gandhi's mother Sonia and former prime minister Manmohan Singh, urged Rahul Gandhi to continue.
Gandhi led the Congress campaign in the 2014 defeat before taking over from his mother as party president in 2017.
The 48-year-old lost his constituency in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, that has been a family bastion for decades. He was allowed to contest a second seat however and won in southern India.
Experts outside Congress have strongly criticised his display against Modi, who mocked the opposition leader as a spoiled member of the family dynasty that has dominated Indian politics since independence in 1947, providing three prime ministers.
Modi was unanimously elected head of his BJP-led alliance in a special ceremonial meeting at parliament. He is to be sworn in for a new term this week.
In West Bengal state, where Modi's BJP took seats from the regional Trinamool Congress party, supporters of the two sides fought battles that left one dead, officials said.
Paramilitary forces boosted security on Saturday because of the violence.
The BJP said a 23-year-old party worker was shot dead by Trinamool activists late Friday at Chakda, north of the regional capital Kolkata. The rival party denied any involvement.
The man's family said he was shot in a field near his home.
Clashes between BJP and Trinamool activists were also reported in three other districts.
Comments (91) Closed
This was expected.... And the disillusionment will continue as grass root workers are voiceless... Modi is happy.... Sad
This resignation drama by Rahul Gandhi is on expected lines and known to everyone across India that in effect no one will resign and congress will pretend as if nothing has happened. IT is this attitude which has put the party at this state of affairs. Even to remain relevant, the party has to fight very hard but i dont see any such strategy and the congerss leaders are just pretending to be normal and praising Rahul Gandhi as usual.
What a stupid party. Priyanka Gandhi should be made the president if she had LED the election campaign the outcome could have been different
Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi are responsible for this mess that the Congress party is in Priyanka Gandhi should have taken over
Big mistake
It's drama to fool people, only people they are fooling are themselves.
Congratulations Rahul!! I successfully lead your party to be the biggest opposition. Keep it up..
Rahul sister should take over.
In 2024 election congress won't even attain the 52 seats
This man will ensure that Congress never comes to power as long as he is the Congress president
He is a curse to Congress and boon to BJP
This drama happened last time too - Rahul Gandhi offering resignation and his chamchas rejecting it. It was all pre-planned. He is the president of Congress party. All he had to do was to tender his resignation. That's all. Such a shameless fella. However BJP won't mind that at all.
It will be interesting to see who wins 2029 elections.
He should continue as Congress president and it helps BJP in next election also :)
Rahul Gandhi has resigned but Rahul Gandhi has rejected his resignation.
Rahul being a 5th generation dynast is biggest asset of BJP.
Rahul gandhi offered his resignation to Rahul gandhi which was rejected by Rahul gandhi because Rahul gandhi says resignation is not a solution of problems created by Rahul gandhi. Rahul Gandhi will then request Rahul Gandhi to continue to guide the Congress which Rahul Gandhi will accept and thank Rahul Gandhi for reposing faith in Rahul Gandhi.
"India's opposition Congress backs Gandhi after poll defeat"
It is good for the future of India. BJP can rule India as long as Gandhi is Congress party president
Rahul Gandhi is a nice person with golden heart but Congress need to understand he is not suitable for politics. As a voter in india i can't accept him as a PM.
Rahul should take responsibility and resign from party leadership and let a more capable person handle it. His only qualification is his last name.
Congress is happy with this decision. BJP is happier
We Indian wish him be president of INC for life so we can have credible Government always :)
Family slaves cannot improve! Btw most of India bats for him to stay as Cong chief. He alone can ensure continuity of BJP government while at the same time ensuring that things remain in good humour!
Wise decision by CWC. This will ensure Modji led BJP winning the 2024 Lok Sabha elections too. Things can only get better.
Mr. Rahul has failed twice. First he has to correct his dialog delivery. His one is very weak. Create solid content. Not also-ran-type --- the chowkidar nonsense. He has to grow above Mr. Modi, and connect with common non-english speaking Indians.
This ensures that Congress is doomed in 2024.
Indian National Congress Pvt. Ltd.
rahul gandhi submitted his resignation to rahul gandhi, Rahul gandhi rejected his resignation, and asked rahul gandhi to continue to do the awesome work rahul gandhi has been doing.
By not accepting Rahul Gandhi's resignation, foundation is laid today for Modi's third term from 2024...
BJP will keep on winning till he is at the helm.
It was known to everyone that the Congress Working Committee will reject his resignation .
Rahul sent his resignation to Rahul and Sonia and both rejected his Rahul resignation
Thank u Rahul for being president of congress. Modi will sweep the polls again in 2024.
Good for BJP for next election.
Rahul is unfit to be a leader.He thinkscommon man is a simpleton and will believe his baseless lies.
He is seriously need for bjp to win in 2024 election. He accepted request of BJP to continue as AICC president
That means, third term for Narendra Modi, a change would have been better
"It is astonishing that Rahul Gandhi has not yet resigned as Congress President," historian Ramachandra Guha said on Twitter. "Both self-respect, as well as political pragmatism, demand that the Congress elect a new leader. But perhaps the Congress has neither," he added.
Rahul Gandhi should continue as congress president. Its good for BJP.
Time is over for dynasty politicians, people are now better educated and choose their leaders by merits. A good development for South Asia!
Why is this even news ?? Very strange !
Around six decades did nothing to their people.. just poverty increased
That means 10 more years for Modi!!
Rahul Gandhi better resign and pave way to intelligent people like Jyotirdaitya Sicndhia, Sachin Pilot etc.
If the Ruling party has to function properly, the opposition should be strong. And Rahul Gandhi is not Strong. He should be in a position to talk with facts and figures about Ruling government's failures.
Being a Indian I can feel the changes post Modi government,in our lives. Congress also focused on Modi rather than their vision and some Robin Hood model NYAY. Middle class were afraid with this scheme, thinking of tax burden ...
Political drama of son resignation and mother Sonia rejecting. Such drama works no more in New India. Sorry for congress. Old tricks of dynastic politics never works in India even in dreams. This is New India and only modi can save us.
Rahul Gandhi seems like a decent and well educated person. I am not sure what is obsession with this Chai Walla/chokidaar?
No, he should not resign, as long as he is the president of Congress, BJP winning is guaranteed. We want Modiji to be our PM in 2024 also.
I am soooo surprised. Expected the party to throw him out.
LOL .... that was funny... wasn't it?
Rahul gandhi is star asset of BJP.
He is the lucky guy for BJP. As long he is in Congress BJP will surely win.
I really feel for this man. He appears to have been forced into the position because of his family and last name. The man's negative rhetoric lead to disaster and empowered Modi's position in the elections. One thing I have always failed to understand that why do great leaders within the party wag their tail to dynastic leaders or non leaders?
I am sure here also people are thinking Rahul Gandhi is descendant of Mahatma Gandhi.
Sadly the family can't sell the party to the public. To start with, it is a party of a family. The so called CWC (Congress Working Committee) constitutes only a handful of very loyal and equally gullible people s the Ghandy family. So they just pretended that as if it was TRUE national party like BJP. That will ensure in very near future this Congress party will be into oblivion. That's what Indians want in majority !!!
Next tome it will be less than 52 seats .
probably this is the end of dynastic politics in our subcontinent.
Congress needs to see beyond Gandhi family. When Modi can become leader without family name then why can Congress have a few face.
Congress is a private limited liability company - LLC
It is concerning that India does not have a strong opposition. In democracy, we do need a vibrant opposition to keep government in check. It is even more shameful that the largest opposition party is run like a family business. Even in family business, owners step aside a bring professionals to run the company.
@Samir,
Don't be so naive. Its because of Feroze Gandhi, husband of Indira. Hence the name. Many of his children and grand children look like him.
It is common sense for Rahul to resign from his current post after the disastrous loss in national elections. Moreover he also lost in the long time Gandhi family Amethi seat that was utter rejection of Rahul Gandhi and Congress. But Congress wants him to continue that is proof positive Congress can not exist without Gandhi family. It is utter shame. If Congress wants to exist they have no choice but to replace Gandhis.
Rahul gandhi given his resignation to Rahul gandhi which was rejected by Rahul gandhi because Rahul gandhi said resignation is not a solution of problems created by Rahul gandhi.
Rahul Gandhi then requested Rahul Gandhi to continue to guide the Congress which Rahul Gandhi accepted and thanked Rahul Gandhi for reposing faith in Rahul Gandhi.
@John, the end of Roman dynasty
Rahul Gandhi is a gift that Congress keeps on giving BJP again and again.
Dynastical politics is the worst enemy of a true democracy.
He is a good for nothing fellow.
@Raj, congress constitution says "Of the gandhi, by the gandhi and for the gandhi" so where is the question of resignation..
@Zak, that would be a gift to BJP.
@Kam, how does she qualify to take over if she was partly to blame for the mess? Plus what qualification or experience has she got apart from being the daughter of an ex prime minister? She has the same political aptitude as her brother. Congress has to accept that they need to rely on more than just genetics to find truly capable leaders - otherwise they would deserve to become extinct!
How can he continue in the role after such a heavy defeat.
@Samir, you’d be surprised how many people in the West and even in Pakistan think that! Few people are aware that Rahul’s granddad Feroz was a Parsi and his surname was in fact ‘Ghandy’ which was changed to Gandhi to make it more acceptable to the Nehru family. It’s amazing how this little fact has been brushed under the carpet!
Same drama happens in Pakistan, Altaf Hussain, Afaq Ahmed played this drama in Karachi many times.
Gandhi gavevresignation to other gandhi mom and mom rejected dear beta resignation. Congress will move on and history of lost will continue
Rahul Gandhi and Pakistan, are the two pinatas that Modi can beat to get the votes out :).
@sfomann,
Well we also hope you have Bilawal Bhutto as PM of Pakistan. :). He also seems educated and nice guy.
Unteachable mediocrity continues to rein Congress.
Think this is all set to get dereconition of party in next election.
They have too back Gandhis. There are 25000 crore trust funds in the name of Nehru, Indira, Rajiv , Sanjiv Gandhis name and many top congressi are part of these trusts and direct beneficiaries. How come they oppose Gandhis.
Rahul , worlds most powerful leader and intelligent too . He has deep knowledge of science too.
@Zak, Pakistan should accomodate this Dynasty as it is lot of Dynasty are flourishing in Pakistan. Wadheras who are subedars will support them
@Samir, you are right .but he has no blood relation with mahatama gandhi.he is pseudo gandhi.even his father was not gandhi.
Rahul's left hand gave the resignation letter to his right hand but it rejected it. So he will continue as Congress leader to give Modi one more term.
End of Nehru dynasty.RIP politics with ethics and charisma. See you after five years Mr.Gandhi
India's opposition Pakistan backs Gandhi even more after poll defeat
This guys is best campaigner for BJP, until he is there in congress, nobody can defeat BJP.. Each time this guy fails congress CWC gives him new power and responsibilities which is very exception for any failure to get.
@Kam, What miracles Priyanka Gandhi did in this election? Wherever she campaigned congress lost, she has record worse than her brother, both brother- sister and their mother are curse for congress party.. If congress want to revive the first thing they need to do is kick incompetent gandhi family out and make a better president like Captain Amrendra Sing but dynesty will not allow this which means continuous fall of Congress. Soon they are going to lose power in Madhyapradesh and Karnataka and the way they treating Amrendra sing, he may also join later BJP.
Modi will destroy India in next 5 years. Congress will return in 2024. Mark my words. People got fooled by nationalist rhetoric against Pakistan but in fact Modi has failed on all economic indicators.
With Gandhi family running the show of party since 1947,this was the news before Congress meeting "Tomorrow, Rahul gandhi will give his resignation to Rahul gandhi which will be rejected by Rahul gandhi because Rahul gandhi says resignation is not a solution of problems created by Rahul gandhi.
Rahul Gandhi then request Rahul Gandhi to continue to guide the Congress which Rahul Gandhi will accept and thanks Rahul Gandhi for reposing faith in Rahul Gandhi."
Dynasitc politics has to end.
Like Indians , Pakistanis should also distance themselves from this dynasty of politicians. Champions of democracy forgot democracy within the political party. Say goodbye to this kinship politics
Advance congratulations modi 2024.