Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said he was no longer Congress president and the party’s working committee should meet immediately to decide on his successor.
Gandhi told reporters he has already resigned and the Congress Working Committee should make the appointment soon.
“I am no longer the Congress president. I have already resigned. The CWC should convene a meeting immediately and decide on the new Congress president,” he said when asked about the future course of the party.
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In a letter, Gandhi said, “It is an honour for me to serve the Congress party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation.”
He further said that as the Congress president, he is responsible “for the loss of the 2019 election”. “Accountability is critical for the future growth of our party. It is for this reason that I have resigned as Congress president.”
The party won 52 seats in the Lok Sabha election.
Gandhi also said that while it was important for someone new to lead the party, it would not be correct for him to select that person.
“My fight has never been a simple battle for political power,” he said. Gandhi added that while he has no “hatred or anger towards the BJP, but every living cell in my body instinctively resists their idea of India”.
Gandhi had resigned as Congress president at a CWC meeting on 25 May, two days after the results of the Lok Sabha elections were declared.
The CWC rejected his resignation and authorised him to initiate changes in the party in order to revamp and restructure it at all levels.
Congress leaders at various levels have been appealing to Gandhi to take back his resignation but he has been unrelenting.
Some party workers are sitting on a ‘dharna’ outside the Congress headquarters, asking him to continue as president, PTI reported. There have also been several resignations of middle-rung leaders.
(With PTI inputs)