In first visit to Amethi after poll loss, Rahul attends review meeting with Congress office-bearers

The Congress has been grappling with a leadership crisis ever since Rahul Gandhi stepped down as party chief.

In his first visit to Amethi after suffering an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Union minister Smriti Irani in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Wednesday attended a review meeting with party office-bearers.

Gandhi went to Gauriganj and visited the house of his party’s Tiloi assembly in-charge Mata Prasad Vaish, whose relative passed away on June 25, and paid condolences to the bereaved family. The review meeting was held at Nirmala Devi Educational Institute in Gauriganj.

He will also meet party representatives, including booth presidents of five assembly segments – Salon, Amethi, Gauriganj, Jagdishpur, and Tiloi.

In the Lok Sabha elections, Gandhi lost the Congress’ pocket borough of Amethi, a constituency he represented for 15 years, to Irani, who won by more than 52,000 votes. Following Gandhi’s defeat, his representative Chandrakant Dubey and district president Yogendra Mishra have resigned.

Taking accountability for the Congress’ drubbing, Gandhi stepped down as party president. He is currently a Member of Parliament from Wayanad constituency in Kerala.

The Congress has been grappling with a leadership crisis ever since Gandhi stepped down as party chief. His decision triggered a spate of resignations by senior and middle ranked Congress leaders expressing solidarity with Gandhi.

There has been intense lobbying in the Congress ever since Gandhi decided to step down with the seniors suggesting that a veteran should take over and be assisted by one or more young working presidents. The younger lot in the party, however, believe the party should think out-of-the-box now and hand over the reins to a young leader.

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