Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 21 (IANS): Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi must make way for others if he does not want to lead the party, Youth Congress leader C R Mahesh said.

"Respected Rahul Gandhi, if you are not interested to take the lead, please make way, as this great entity that has roots all over the country is getting snapped," Mahesh said on his Facebook page.

A Youth Congress vice president, Mahesh contested the 2016 Assembly polls from Karunagapally in Kollam district and lost to CPI's R Ramachandran by 1,759 votes.

A K Anthony must break his silence

Mahesh said the Congress in Kerala was without a president for two weeks.

"This comes at a time when the failures of the CPI-M and the BJP have to be highlighted and also when the top leadership of the party in Congress is watching from the sidelines the factional feud going on in the KSU," he said, referring to the student wing of the Congress.

He also urged former Defence Minister A K Antony to break his silence on what is happening in the Congress.

"We are prepared to die to see that the Indian National Congress stays alive in the country but it should be ensured that merit should be given due credit," Mahesh said.

Questions on Rahul's leadership

Rahul Gandhi's leadership has been questioned by senior leaders in the Congress in the wake of the party facing repeated losses in elections. Senior Congressman Digvijaya Singh recently said Rahul Gandhi was not acting decisively.

Another senior party leader Satyavrat Chaturvedi, who is considered close Sonia Gandhi, has questioned Rahul Gandhi's leadership following the party's humiliating defeat in Uttar Pradesh.   

Congress' general secretary in Uttar Pradesh Umesh Pandit has said that Rahul Gandhi should be held responsible for the party's drubbing in the state, asking for Priyanka Gandhi's elevation in the party.