Some Congress leaders under the 'Telangana Congress Loyalists Forum' on Tuesday wrote to Congress president Sonia Gandhi to convene a session of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) at the earliest to entrust the party leadership to Rahul Gandhi.
In the letter, a copy of which was released to the press, senior congress leaders in Telangana, Marri Shashidhar Reddy, among others, said that people in general are looking at the Congress party to save the country, under the prevailing "negative circumstances".
"While the country has developed leaps and bounds under the Congress rule, the party has also played an effective role as an Opposition party and it is significant to note that all the strengthening and the subsequent revival happened under the leadership of a member of the Gandhi family," the letter said.
"It is our sincere belief that this time also strengthening and revival of the party would only be possible under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi. In view of this, a session of the AICC may be convened at the earliest to entrust the party leadership to Rahul Gandhi.We are writing this letter to echo the sentiments and views of the rank and file of the Congress party, besides the people in general," the letter added.
Several congress leaders, including Shashi Tharoor and Sandeep Dikshit, have demanded fresh polls to the top post in the party.
The Telangana Congress Loyalists Forum was formed last year after an internal rift within the state unit of the party. Many of the leaders who are part of the forum have demanded that Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) chief Uttam Kumar Reddy step down from his post, owing to successive losses that the party has witnessed in the state.