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The Congress’ continuing indecision in finding a replacement for chief Rahul Gandhi is costing the party dear.
Sanjay Sinh, a senior leader and Rajya Sabha member considered close to the first family of the party, submitted his resignation from the Congress and from the Upper House on Tuesday. The day also saw resignations of four Opposition MLAs from the Maharashtra Assembly, where elections are due next year.
In Karnataka, the resignations by the Congress and Janata Dal Secular members led to the defeat of the combine in the trust vote and their losing power. Post the Lok Sabha polls, the Madhya Pradesh and the Rajasthan governments led by the party have also faced troubles — both from inside and outside.
The Congress Working Committee could not hold a meeting since Rahul Gandhi’s resignation. Though a section in the party is proposing that his sister and AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra be made the next president, Rahul Gandhi himself is opposed to the idea.
Another section in the party feels that a session of the AICC should be convened and election held for the post of the president.
The Congress leadership, which is trying to resolve the crisis emanating in the States, feels that without a person at the top, it is going to be difficult to find a consensus among warring factions and resist the moves by the BJP.
Sinh, who addressed a press conference two weeks ago on the Sonbhadra violence, had come down heavily against the BJP governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh. On Tuesday, he announced he will join the BJP. “The Congress is still in the past, unaware of the future. Today, the country is with Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi... I will join the BJP tomorrow. I have resigned from the (Congress) party as well as my membership of the Rajya Sabha,” he said. Sinh had earlier served the BJP in the 1990s.
Meanwhile, NCP MLAs Shivendrasinhraje Bhosale, Vaibhav Pichad and Sandeep Naik, and Congress MLA Kalidas Kolambkar resigned from the Maharashtra Assembly on Tuesday. There are reports that the four legislators will join the BJP on Wednesday.
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