Raj Cong refuses to accept Rahul's resignation

New Delhi: With Rahul Gandhi remaining firm on his decision to step down as Congress president in the wake of a humiliating drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections, the party's Rajasthan unit has passed a resolution urging him to stay put as the party chief.

Flanked by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot, AICC general secretary in charge of Rajasthan Avinash Pande said besides endorsing the Congress Working Committee's resolution asking Gandhi to continue as party chief, the state unit has requested him to steer the party out of its current state, a news agency reported.

This was the first meeting of the party's state unit after the Congress' rout in the Lok Sabha elections. In a repeat of 2014, the Congress failed to win a single Lok Sabha seat in Rajasthan despite winning the assembly elections nearly five months ago.

The resolution came even as cracks surfaced within the party's Rajasthan unit. Emboldened after Gandhi accused Gehlot and two other senior leaders of having put the interests of their sons above that of the party during the Lok Sabha elections, two ministers of the Gehlot-led government took potshots at the Chief Minister and demanded "introspection" and "accountability" in their state.

The Chief Minister's son Vaibhav Gehlot lost by over 2.7 lakh votes to BJP leader and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

At the CWC meeting held on May 25, Gandhi had offered to step down from his position. But, his offer was unanimously rejected and instead authorised him to overhaul and restructure the party at all levels.

According to sources, Gandhi, however, remains firm on his stand that a non-Gandhi should take over as Congress president and that he will continue on the post till such time a suitable successor is found.

Sources close to Gandhi said he did not meet Gehlot, Pilot and AICC general secretary in-charge of organisation K C Venugopal who had reached 12, Tughlaq Lane Tuesday. The sources said it was Priyanka who discussed

organisational matters with them.