Congress President should be elected by consensus, says Punjab CM Amarinder Singh

The new Congress president should be appointed through consensus and not election as it helps to bind the party and Rahul Gandhi is certainly up to it, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said today.

He also said that it was up to Sonia Gandhi whether she will continue as party chief for another term and the party will be happy if she decides so. Amarinder, however, favoured projection of regional leaders in Congress and making them the party’s face in each state ahead of assembly elections.

“Elections are always bitter and consensus keeps the party together. There should be a consensus on the party president. “You don’t have any bad blood. It is all happening in a happy way,” he told PTI in an interview. The organisational election process within the Congress party is underway and the new party chief has to be elected by October 15.

On Sonia Gandhi, he said it will be entirely her call on whether to continue for another term till 2019. “She has worked very hard. If she wants to stay, I think the party will be too happy. If she wants to go, I think Rahul is in a position to take over… . As party …read more