Amarinder Singh backs 'charismatic' young leader to replace Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi, July 06: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has backed a young 'charismatic' leader to takeover the reins of Congress in the wake of Rahul Gandhi's resignation as party president.

Taking to twitter, the Chief Minister urged the Congress Working Committee (CWC) to look for Rahul's replacement in a charismatic Gen Next leader, who can enthuse the people with his pan-India appeal and grassroots presence.

"A youth leader, with a forward-looking approach, would not only connect better with the large majority of India's young population but would inculcate the party with a dose of fresh thinking, desperately needed to pull the nation back from the regressive and divisive policies of the ruling BJP,'' said the Chief minister.

Taking responsibility for his party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections, Gandhi on Wednesday stepped down as Congress president.

Gandhi's resignation has brought an end to days of speculation as members of Congress Working Committee had been urging him not to resign. He had offered to step down just two days after his party's huge defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.

The Congress managed to win just 52 seats out of a total of 542 in the lower House of the parliament. Gandhi even lost the Congress family bastion of Amethi to Union minister Smriti Irani by nearly 55,000 votes.

The names of senior congress leaders like Sushil Kumar Shinde and Mallikarjun Kharge has been doing rounds as new party president.