Mallikarjun Kharge to Sushil Shinde: Names doing rounds for Rahul Gandhi’s successor

While Congress said Rahul will continue to be president until his resignation is accepted by the CWC and a new chief is appointed after due process, here are a few names that are in the running for the spot.

By: Express Web Desk

New Delhi | July 4, 2019 12:29 PM IST

4 min read

Rahul Gandhi announced his resignation on Wednesday. (Express photo by Neeraj Priyadarshi)

After Rahul Gandhi stepped down as Congress chief, the party is abuzz with names of possible successors and alternative solutions. Congress can put in place a CPM Politburo-like mechanism to run the party collectively, a suggestion says. Some leaders are also suggesting the appointment of a veteran close to the Gandhi family as interim president or even holding an election.

Mallikarjun Kharge: In nearly five decades of his political career, Kharge was known as “solillada Saradara”, (a leader without defeat), until the 2019 polls – in which he suffered his first electoral loss against BJP’s Umesh Jadhav in Gulbarga. The nine-time MLA and two-term Lok Sabha member had served as Union Cabinet Minister- Labour and Employment, also Railways and Social Justice and Empowerment in the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government. He had also held various portfolios in successive Congress governments in Karnataka and was also president of Karnataka Congress and leader of opposition in the state assembly. Kharge had also served as the leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha from 2014 to 2019 after the party suffered a humiliating defeat in the polls.

Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge

Sushil Kumar Shinde: Dalit leader Sushil Kumar Shinde, known to be a Gandhi loyalist, served as the Home Minister in the Manmohan Singh government from 2012 to 2014. His tenure as a Home Minister saw two major decisions of hanging terrorists Afzal Guru and Ajmal Kasab. Shinde also previously served as the Maharashtra chief minister, Andhra Pradesh governor and in the Power Ministry. He contested the 2019 polls from Solapur but lost to BJP’s Siddheshwar Shivacharya.

Anand Sharma: Anand Sharma, who served as a Congress spokesperson for years, is the Deputy Leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha since 2014. He was also a former President of the Youth Congress. He served as the Minister of Commerce and Industry from 2009 to 2014.

READ | No interim president, Rahul Gandhi to continue till new chief is appointed: Congress

Congress leaders Anand Sharma and Sushil Kumar Shinde (Express Photo by Kevin D’Souza)

Ashok Gehlot: Currently the Rajasthan Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot was elected for the first time to the 7th Lok Sabha from Jodhpur parliamentary constituency in 1980. He went on to represent Jodhpur parliamentary constituency in the 8th, 10th, 11th and 12th Lok Sabha. In 1999, he was elected as MLA from Sardarpura (Jodhpur) assembly constituency. He won three assembly elections back-to-back. Gehlot served as Rajasthan CM on three occasions, from 1998 to 2003; 2008 to 2013 and also holds the post currently. After the party’s loss in Lok Sabha polls, Rahul Gandhi is learned to have singled out Gehlot at the CWC meet for concentrating on his son’s campaign rather than focusing on the state.

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Rahul Gandhi with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot (File)

Mukul Wasnik: Another Dalit leader whose name is doing the rounds for the top spot in Congress is Mukul Balkrishna Wasnik. He was the Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment under the Manmohan Singh government. In 1984 Wasnik became the youngest Member of Parliament at age of 25.

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Congress Rahul Gandhi