Accountability to Roadmap: What Rahul’s Resignation Letter Conveys

From taking accountability for election results to charting out the roadmap, Rahul Gandhi touched upon many issues.

Rahul Gandhi touched upon a number of points in his resignation letter.

(Photo: The Quint)

After days of speculation in political circles and multiple rounds of deliberation with senior party leaders, Rahul Gandhi resigned from the post of Congress President on Wednesday, 3 July.

In his resignation letter which Gandhi shared on his Twitter account, he touched upon a number of points which provide a glimpse into his thoughts and what might have led him to take the decision.

Here are some salient points we have gleaned from his letter:

On the Next President

Rahul Gandhi’s resignation letter. (Photo: The Quint)

In what might be read as an effort to counter the allegations of ‘dynasty politics’ within the Congress party, Rahul in his letter, wrote that the choice of the next President should be a collective decision made by the Congress Working Committee.

While it might seem obvious, to have categorically spelled it out seems like a conscious decision to send out the message that Rahul or the Gandhi family will not have leverage on the choice of the next party chief.

“Many of my colleagues suggested that I nominate the next Congress President. While it is important for someone new to lead our party, it would not be correct for me to select that person.”

Rahul Gandhi

On Accountability

Rahul Gandhi’s resignation letter. (Photo: The Quint)

One of the first issues that Rahul addressed in his letter was that of taking accountability for the party’s loss in the General Elections. Notably, soon after the elections, Rahul had accused senior party leaders like P Chidambaram, Kamal Nath and Ashok Gehlot of placing their sons above the party during the Lok Sabha polls.

“Rebuilding the party requires hard decisions and numerous people will have to be made accountable for the failure of 2019.”

Rahul Gandhi

On Congress’ Election Narrative

Rahul Gandhi’s resignation letter. (Photo: The Quint)

Gandhi stuck to what he had repeatedly said during his election campaign: that Congress is not fighting against the BJP but their idea of India. However, at one point in the letter, he writes that, at times, he ‘stood completely alone’ during the elections. The reference might be a subtle nudge to parties like SP and BSP, who often attacked the Congress during the poll campaigns.

“I personally fought the Prime Minister the RSS and the institutions they have captured... At times I stood completely alone and am extremely proud of it.”

Rahul Gandhi

On Elections 2019

Rahul Gandhi’s resignation letter. (Photo: The Quint)

Gandhi had quite brazenly raised questions against the Election Commission and other such institutions during the elections and has reiterated that in his letter.

“A free and fair election requires the neutrality of a court an election cannot be fair without arbiters - a free press, an independent judiciary and a transparent election commission that is objective and neutral. Nor can an election be free if one party has a complete monopoly on financial resources.”

Rahul Gandhi

On the Current Political Scenario

In another throwback to his election speeches, Gandhi stuck to his view that under BJP's rule several sections of the country’s population are under attack.

Rahul Gandhi’s resignation letter. (Photo: The Quint)

“Farmers, unemployed youngsters, women, tribals, Dalits and minorities are going to suffer the most”. He goes on to draw a roadmap for his party by saying, “It is the duty of the Congress Party to defend these voices. India has never and will never be one voice. It is and always will be a symphony of voices. That is the true essence of Bharat Mata.”

Rahul Gandhi

On Rafale

Rahul Gandhi’s resignation letter. (Photo: The Quint)

The Rafale deal and the alleged corruption in its process was one of the recurring themes of Rahul’s poll campaign. However, neither him nor his party raked up the issue since their election debacle. In his letter though, the former Congress President made a pass at the issue.