New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge Sunday asserted that many in the grand old party want Rahul Gandhi to become party’s chief. Gandhi had left the position in 2019 taking moral responsibility of the defeat in Lok Sabha polls in the same year.

Said the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha: “Along with all the Congress workers, it’s my personal opinion that Rahul Gandhi should take the lead and become Congress president. He can unify and strengthen the Congress party.”

In a meeting held on Sunday, CWC decided to conduct the polls for president post of the grand-old party in the month of October while the counting of votes will take place on October 19.

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Congress MP KC Venugopal said, “CWC met under Sonia Gandhi and approved the final schedule. Nomination process for post of Congress president will be from September 24 to September 30. Elections to be held on October 17 and counting of polls & declaration of results will be on October 19.”

The elections were mandated as the party’s former chief Rahul Gandhi had stepped down as the Congress president. His decision was taken in a backdrop of ‘poor performance’ in the Lok Sabha election 2019.