Rahul Gandhi on Friday met senior Congress leaders from Gujarat to elicit their opinion on the next state president who would lead the party in the Assembly polls next year.

Such wide consultations on the choice of state president are rare but Rahul wants to evolve a consensus on the next Gujarat chief, given the strong opposition to his favourite Hardik Patel.

The majority of leaders believe a senior leader should be given the mantle and Hardik can assist him as working president. They feel 28-year-old Hardik is too young to lead the party in a complex state from where both Narendra Modi and Amit Shah hail.

The high command had invited 15 leaders for discussion on Friday. Rahul held one-on-one conversations with everybody. Though it is not known what transpired at the meetings, the majority of senior leaders are said to be in favour of either Shaktisinh Gohil or Naresh Rawal to lead the party.

There is an assessment that the Patidar movement has weakened considerably and the BJP has regained control over the community, reducing Hardik’s clout in the state.

Majority of leaders now want the Congress to create a rainbow coalition of castes with a focus on OBCs.