Mallikarjun Kharge, Digvijaya Singh met Treasurer Ahmed Patel separately at the party office

Amid a leadership crisis in the Congress, senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Digvijaya Singh on Thursday met Treasurer Ahmed Patel separately at the party office.

Senior leaders have been meeting Congress veterans in a bid to persuade party President Rahul Gandhi to take back his offer to step down, which he made on Saturday during a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC).

Following his meeting with Mr Patel, who is a close aide of UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Mr Kharge told IANS: "We want Rahulji to continue as the party President. All the state units and party workers are passing resolution that Rahulji be the party chief and we are hopeful that he will take back his offer to step down as the party chief."

Mr Kharge lost in the 2019 general elections from the Gulbarga Lok Sabha seat in Karnataka.

Shortly after Mr Kharge met Ahmed Patel, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh, who lost the election from Bhopal against BJP candidate Pragya Singh Thakur, also held a meeting with the Treasurer.

Rahul Gandhi's offer has been unanimously rejected by the CWC members.

Many senior leaders have also met former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the last few days.

On Wednesday, Delhi Congress chief and former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit protested outside Rahul Gandhi's residence demanding that he take back his resignation offer.