Buoyed Congress asks Rahul to take up LoP role, he says will decide soon

THE MEETING of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) Saturday unfolded according to the script. Jubilant at the party’s better-than-expected showing in the Lok Sabha elections, the CWC was effusive in praise of Rahul Gandhi — as also Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra — and “unanimously” passed a resolution asking Rahul to take up the post of Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha.

The mood in the CWC was buoyant. Although the party could not reach three digits, the committee felt the election verdict had “infused new life” into the party and signaled its “overall revival and rejuvenation”. While there were green shoots of revival in many states, the leadership was concerned about the party’s disastrous performance in some of the states, especially Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Delhi and party-ruled Himachal Pradesh.

Party president Kharge, it was decided, will set up a committee which will look into the factors and reasons for the rout in some states and suggest steps to address the shortcomings. Sources said some of the state Congress presidents could be replaced soon. As expected, the meeting saw leader after leader asking Rahul to lead the party from the front in Lok Sabha and take up the post of Leader of the Opposition which it would get after a decade.

And as is his wont, Rahul told the CWC that he will take a decision very soon. Kharge, too, told Rahul that he should take up the post since the CWC has passed a resolution and, in a lighter vein, added that he would take disciplinary action if he does not heed to the CWC’s decision.

“During this election, we raised so many burning issues – unemployment, price rise, Agniveer issue, women and social justice issues. These issues need to be raised in a