Rahul Gandhi quits as Indian National Congress party president

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi has stepped down from the post of Indian National Congress President and said it was "an honour to serve the Congress party" in a letter he tweeted hours after declaring that he was no longer the party president.

"It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation. I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love," he wrote in the letter.

"The party should decide on the new president quickly without further delay, I'm nowhere in this process. I have already submitted my resignation and I am no longer the party president," the 49-year-old said after repeatedly refusing to back down on his resignation despite his party leaders pleading with him.

For the third time since the party began operations, a non-Gandhi may take charge of India’s grand old party that has mostly been headed by members of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty.

Rahul Gandhi quit as Congress president on 25 May , days after leading the party to its second national election drubbing. The party could win only 52 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha, pulverized once again in the face of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP's massive victory.

Taking responsibility for the rout, Rahul Gandhi also criticised party leaders for weakening the Congress campaign by placing their own interests above the party. He also made it clear that the party should look at a non-Gandhi to lead it.

Gandhi lost the general elections from his family bastion of Amethi — which had been his family’s stronghold for close to two decades — to BJP leader Smriti Irani, but he won from Wayanad, in Kerala, where he chose to contend from as well in 2019.