Chennithala appeals to Rahul Gandhi to take over reigns of Congress

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug .11 (PTI): Senior Congress leader from Kerala, Ramesh Chennithala on Tuesday appealed to Rahul Gandhi to once again assume the party chief's role to take on the BJP.

"We are passing through an unprecedented crisis and Madam Sonia Gandhi hasbeen struggling ,despiteher health issues, to rudder these tempestuous times," Chennithala said in a letter to the Wayanad MP.

The hallmark of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rule has been the "premeditated attempts to undermine the country's constitution, parliamentary democracy, federalism and the time tested economic structures," Chennithala said.

Hopelessness and despair is descending on all secular, liberal and peace loving citizens and this should not be allowed at any cost, he added.

Alleging that theModi-Amit Shah combine had "subverted" the basic principles of democracy, which led to the falling of Congress governments in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.

Chennithala claimed that a similar attempt was made in Rajasthan,which was however thwarted by Rahul Gandhi's swift action.

To match the BJP's "crooked and robustness", a young and dynamicleadership is needed at the helm of affairs," he said.

The plea comes two days after the party stated that Sonia Gandhi would continue as interim president till such time a "proper procedure" is implemented in the "not too distant future" to elect a party chief.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi had during an online media briefing on Sunday said it was true that Sonia Gandhi's tenure as interim chief comes to an end on August 10.

But it does not mean that the seat automatically falls vacant that day.

"She would continue till such time as a proper procedure is implemented and it will be implemented in the not too distant future", he had said.

Gandhi had quit as Congress chief taking moral responsibility for the United Progressive Alliance's (UPA) debacle in the 2014 general elections.

Pointing out that the nation had "appreciated" the highest democratic principles shown by him, Chennithala said it was time he reconsidered the decision as the crucial assembly polls to Bihar and five other states were due in nine months.

"The grassroots level workers are eagerly waiting for Rahulji to take over the reigns of the party.

This will infuse unmatched enthusiasm among our cadres and will catapult our party towards recapturing the past glory".

Be it the pseudonationalism or the 'mismanagement' of the Covid-19 pandemic, the "high handedness" of enacting the CAA, or the total failure of diplomacy on handling the Indo China border crisis, the country heard only one dissent and that was from you, the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly said.

Former Union minister and Thiruvananthapuram MP, Shashi Tharoorhad on Sundaysaid the Congress must expedite the process of finding a full-term president to arrest the growing public perception that the party is "adrift and rudderless".

Tharoor had also said that he certainly thinks that Rahul Gandhi has the "mettle, capability and aptitude to once again lead the party", but if he does not wish to do so then the party must "take action" to elect a new chief.