Priyanka for Congress president: Posters supporting Sonia's daughter re-emerge in Allahabad

Allahabad, Jan 12: At a time when senior Congress leaders are in a mood to start afresh in the new year and demands over making Rahul Gandhi party's president are gaining momentum. There is also a section, though small, in the party which wants Sonia Gandhi's daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to succeed her mother.

A section of Congress leaders in Allahabad wants

Sonia Gandhi to hand over party's reigns to Priyanka's. The leaders have once again put up posters urging the Congress chief to appoint Priyanka as the new Congress president on her birthday, Jan 12.

Posters have re-emerged saying, "Maiya Behana ko do janmadin ka uphar, adhyaksha bane Priyanka to aaye Congress me nikhar. Digvijay ki nahi karyakartaon ki suno pukar. (Mother (Sonia) give birthday gift to sister (Priyanka) make her party president to infuse a new life into Congress. Do not pay heed to Digvijay Singh, listen to the voice of workers)."

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra posters seen in Allahabad pic.twitter.com/xV7ls96C6p

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 12, 2015

This is the second time when such voices have emerged from party leaders ever since Congress registered its worst ever defeat in the Lok Sabha polls. The poster also reveals that a particular segment in the party is unhappy with senior leader Digvijay Singh who is known to be very close to Rahul. Digvijay has been consistently demanding promotion as Congress' president.

Similar posters emerged in the month of August as well.

A meeting of Congress Working Committee is scheduled on Tuesday where possibly this issue will be discussed.

When asked about the talks of Rahul's elevation doing the rounds, party spokesperson Shobha Oza replied diplomatically.

"Both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are our respected leaders. The party has a constitution and organisational elections are due," Oza said, leaving the issue open.

She was responding when asked to comment on AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh's remark that he was of "firm" opinion that Rahul should become the party President.

"I have been saying for a long time and even today I maintain my words. I am firm that Rahul Gandhi has handled the responsibility of vice President and my request to Congress leadership and Sonia Gandhiji is that he should be given the responsibility of the AICC," he had said last week.

Organisational polls are set to begin in two months and these would culminate in the election of a new President for Congress in August-September. An AICC meeting is likely to take place as early as March this year. 68-year-old Sonia Gandhi is the longest-serving party chief being at the helm since March 1998.

Rahul, 44 years old, was made the vice president of Congress in January 2013 at the Jaipur Chintan Shivir of the party. [Angry man to call the shots now: Rahul Gandhi to be made Congress president?]

Experts say that at present, the Congress seriously needs a makeover. They believe that the party is going through one of the toughest phase in the history of any party and needs radical change at every level so that Congress could make a roaring comeback in next polls.

OneIndia News