Sources said Rahul Gandhi was particularly stung by his shocking loss in Amethi.
DMK chief MK Stalin today urged Rahul Gandhi to reconsider his decision to step down as Congress president in the wake of his party's dismal performance in the Lok Sabha elections, saying that he has still "succeeded in winning the hearts of the people". The appeal comes close on the heels of another Congress ally, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Yadav, terming Rahul Gandhi's offer to step down as "suicidal".
With Rahul Gandhi adamant on his decision to resign from the top position following the Congress' dismal score of just 52 seats as compared to the BJP's 303, the party is reportedly planning to hold a meeting of its working committee this week to discuss possible replacements. The Congress chief has reportedly asked party leaders to keep his mother, Sonia Gandhi, and sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, out of the list -- saying that "it is not necessary that the top post should be held by somebody from the Gandhi family".
Sources said that the Congress chief was particularly stung by his loss in Amethi, a constituency that has been with the party for the better part of the last three decades, despite his victory from Kerala's Wayanad. He has, however, assured party leaders that he would continue in the Congress as a "disciplined soldier" and give them time to identify a successor.
The DMK chief reportedly told Rahul Gandhi in a telephonic conversation that although his party suffered defeat in the Lok Sabha polls, he had "succeeded in winning the hearts of the people". The Congress president, for his part, congratulated MK Stalin over the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance winning 37 of the 38 parliamentary seats in Tamil Nadu.
Meanwhile, party leaders and political allies are still trying to convince Rahul Gandhi to not "fall into the BJP's trap" by quitting his position and instead start anew for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. "Rahul's offer to resign is suicidal. Although opposition parties had the common goal of dislodging the BJP, they failed to build a national narrative. The result in a particular election can never alter the reality in a country as diverse and plural as India," Lalu Yadav said in an article tweeted earlier today.
The RJD chief said that Rahul Gandhi quitting the Congress chief's post will not prevent the BJP from portraying it as a "dynastic" party. "The moment someone outside the Gandhi-Nehru family replaces Rahul, the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah brigade will paint the new leader as a 'puppet' remote-controlled by Rahul and Sonia Gandhi. This will play on until the next general elections. Why should Rahul give such an opportunity to his political detractors?" Lalu Yadav said in his write-up published in The Telegraph.
Meanwhile, the party leadership is looking at contingency plans in case Rahul Gandhi refuses to relent. One of the options floating around is to have Rahul Gandhi as the leader of the party in the Lok Sabha, so he can continue to play a lead role against the BJP.
(With inputs from Agencies)