CWC rejects Rahul Gandhi's offer to quit as Congress President

New Delhi, May 25: The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Saturday unanimously rejected Rahul Gandhi's offer to resign as party president after the Lok Sabha poll debacle and authorised him to overhaul and restructure the party at all levels.

The decisions were taken during the CWC meeting attended by Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, former PM Manmohan Singh and other senior party leaders. Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath did not attend the meeting.

"Congress President Rahul Gandhi in his address to the CWC offered his resignation as the party president. The CWC unanimously and with one voice rejected the same and requested the Congress President for his leadership and guidance in these challenging times," said the resolution passed by CWC.

Party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala later denied reports. "Reports of Congress President offering his resignation are incorrect," Surjewala was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Talking to reporters, AK Antony said the grand old party was not able to rise up to the expectations and added, "I don't agree that it was a disastrous performance. We all will discuss this in details as today we had only general discussions."

Uttar Pradesh Congress Chief Raj Babbar, Odisha Congress president Niranjan Patnaik and Karnataka Congress campaign Committee head H.K. Patil had all put in their papers on the eve of the CWC.

Congress managed to get 52 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, the results of which were declared on Thursday. With seats less than 10 per cent of the total number of seats in Lok Sabha, the party does not even have enough numbers to claim the post of Leader of Opposition (LOP) in the Lower House of the Parliament.