Olympian Aslam Sher Khan offers to be substitute for Rahul Gandhi as Cong prez

New Delhi: Hockey Olympian and former union minister Aslam Sher Khan has offered to replace Rahul Gandhi as the Congress president for a period of two years.

"I wrote the letter when Rahul Gandhi offered to leave the post of Congress President and asked someone from outside the Nehru-Gandhi family to take over his role. In the letter, I mentioned that if Rahul (Gandhi) wanted to continue at the post he very well could, but if not, then I would like to assume the responsibility for two years," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Aslam Sher Khan is the first leader to stake claim to the post after Rahul Gandhi offered to step down at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Delhi on May 25 following the party's poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections. The CWC had unanimously rejected the offer and passed a new resolution which authorised Gandhi to revamp the organisation.

Khan added that the intent behind writing the letter was to ensure a makeover of the party and there were no hopes for any personal gains.

"The letter was not written for personal gains. It is because I believe Congress needs a makeover and it needs to be realigned with the nationalist identity. It is because of these reasons that I became ready to assume the responsibilities when the party is going through tough times," he said.

Aslam Sher Khan, however, said he did not blame Rahul for the defeat as "he left no stone unturned but the narrative of the Congress simply failed to connect with the people and they again went with Narendra Modi."

"No doubt a change is needed and if someone who is a better candidate than me, can also be given the role," he said.