Bhupesh Baghel exhorts Rahul Gandhi to assume reins of Congress

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday wrote to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi requesting him to take charge as the president of Congress party.

"We remember that under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, Congress had performed well in the Gujarat Assembly elections and formed governments in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. In the present circumstances, only Sonia Ji and Rahul Ji can take India out of trouble," Baghel wrote in his letter addressed to Rahul Gandhi.

"The masses have their hopes pinned on Congress in these troubled times. Congress wants to reassure you that lakhs of party workers have faith in your leadership. We plead you to assume the leadership of Congress and show a new path to the country," he added.

Baghel further recounted the contributions of Gandhi Nehru family towards making India a modern nation and exhorted dissatisfied leaders of the party to not discuss the troubles afflicting the party in public.

"The contribution of Gandhi Nehru family in transforming India from a poor nation to a modern country has been remarkable. The Congress party has faced many challenges in the past and come out unscathed due to the faith in the Gandhi Nehru family," Baghel wrote.

"In the present as well some leaders of the party have started expressing their grievances in public. I appeal to the party members to maintain unity in these challenging times," he added.

Earlier, AICC secretary Challa Vamshi Chand Reddy in a letter to all Congress Working Committee (CWC) members on Sunday said that any further delay in promoting Rahul Gandhi to the post of Congress President will cause "incalculable harm" to the party's progress and will be "dispiriting to the entire Congress family".

A day ahead of the crucial CWC meeting, Reddy said that this decision would "create a launching pad for further creative action and get us all prepared for any eventuality".

There has been a debate in the Congress on the issue of leadership with a section of the party pitching for return of Rahul Gandhi as party President.

Rahul Gandhi has been leading the party's attack on the Narendra Modi government on a range of issues including border tensions with China.

Sonia Gandhi completed one year as the party's interim chief earlier this month. She took over the reins of the party for a second time after Rahul Gandhi stepped down as party chief following Congress suffering its second successive defeat in Lok Sabha polls in 2019.

Sections of the party feel that the uncertainty over the leadership issue should end soon as it will help the party take on the BJP-led government more forcefully.

( With inputs from ANI )