Congress Leaders To Observe Hunger Strike In An Attempt To Convince Rahul Gandhi Today

This comes after Chief Ministers of 5 Congress ruled states urged him to continue as party Chief and hoped he will positively consider their plea.

New Delhi: With Rahul Gandhi not relenting on his offer to quit as president of the Congress, hit by a wave of resignations by middle-rung leaders in the recent past, several party leaders are set to begin a hunger strike at party headquarter in the national capital on Tuesday. This comes after Chief Ministers of 5 Congress ruled states urged him to continue as party Chief and hoped he will positively consider their plea. Chief minister of Rajasthan, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Puducherry met Rahul Gandhi and held detailed discussion on the party's poll debacle and also apprised him of their own feelings as well as those of the party workers from across the country who want him to continue providing leadership to the grand old party. "It was a good meeting that lasted around two hours. We expressed our feelings and it was a heart-to-heart talk in detail. We conveyed and apprised him about the feelings of Congress workers across the country and urged him to continue to lead the party," Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot told reporters after the meeting. He also said,"we hope that he will positively agree to our request to continue as Congress president and will take the right decision in time." Sources said the meeting was yet another attempt by these chief ministers to request Gandhi to continue as the party chief but Gandhi is believed to have stuck to his decision to quit. Gandhi told them that he has already conveyed his decision to the CWC and would not relent, sources said. Among several office-bearers of the Congress who resigned, the prominent ones included party's general secretary in charge of Madhya Pradesh Dipak Babaria, AICC SC department chairman Nitin Raut, AICC Kisan cell chairman Nana Patole and AICC in-charge of Chhattisgarh P L Punia and chairman of the party's legal and human rights cell Vivek Tankha.