New Delhi

Rahul Gandhi is likely to be elevated as Congress President in April as the party grapples with the crisis which has hit the organisation since the Lok Sabha election rout and the subsequent Assembly election defeats.

Some senior leaders like Kamal Nath and Digvijay Singh have come in support of elevating Rahul who has mysteriously gone on a sabbatical.

A nine-term member of the Lok Sabha, Kamal Nath said what has to be done is Rahul Gandhi must be given full responsibility of the party. There cannot be two decision- making bodies in one party.

Make him the President, he said in interviews today adding that at present the situation that existed showed that neither Rahul nor Sonia Gandhi “is there”.

“Mrs. Sonia Gandhi thinks Rahul Gandhi is doing something and Rahul thinks that Mrs. Sonia Gandhi is doing something.

We must have a situation where Rahul is in command,” he said.

Sonia Gandhi is the longest serving President of Congress after she took over reins of party from Sitaram Kesari in 1998.

The Congress is likely to hold a session of the AICC in either Bengaluru or Shimla in April to discuss ways to revive the party after its disastrous performance in elections.

Digvijay Singh dismissed speculation that Rahul could “run away” from politics and maintained that he is made of “sterner staff” and will return to play a “larger role”.

“There is no question of Rahul Gandhi running away. I absolutely rule it out. He is made of sterner stuff. I am absolutely sure that he will not run away. He will continue not only as an MP but he also has a larger role in the Congress at the national level,” Singh said.

He was asked about Rahul’s sudden disappearance from the political scene and going on leave, which has generated speculation that he could renounce politics as he was no longer in a position to take the pressure.

Singh argued that if Gandhi wanted to give up why would he have had widest consultations with senior leaders.

Asked whether there are differences between him and his mother Sonia Gandhi, who is the Congress President, Singh said, “there is no question of differences. There is a strong bonding between them as family members.”

But when pressed further whether there are differences politically, he said, “both of them are from different generations. Obviously every generation has a mind set.”

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