New Delhi: After a marathon seven-hour-long meeting marked by high drama, the Congress working committee on Monday decided that Sonia Gandhi will continue as the party’s interim president and effect necessary organisational changes while an AICC session will be called at the earliest to start the process of electing a new chief.
In her opening remarks at the party’s highest decision-making body, Sonia Gandhi, who was made the party’s interim chief a year ago following resignation of her son Rahul Gandhi from the post, offered to quit in the wake of a letter written by over 20 leaders, who had demanded sweeping organisational reforms, a collective leadership and an “active, fulltime and visible” president.
Though a large section of the leaders backed Sonia Gandhi and requested here to stay on to lead the grand old party, there was a high-drama at the meeting held over video conferencing – tweets were posted and deleted, insinuation of the BJP connection behind the letter were reportedly made and officially denied by the Congress.
Soon after the CWC meeting ended and the resolution made there was released to the media at a hurriedly called press conference, some signatories of the letter assembled at senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad’s house and discussed the outcome of the meeting.
Sources said these leaders, who included Kapil Sibal, Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari and Mukul Wasnik, discussed the CWC meeting outcome but none of them agreed to talk about their deliberations.
The party said the CWC unanimously urged Sonia Gandhi to stay on as the party chief till a new president is appointed and authorised her to bring about organisational changes to take on the challenges within.
The CWC also resolved that the process of selecting the new Congress president and convening a session of the all India Congress committee be started at the earliest possible time.
In her concluding remarks, Sonia Gandhi agreed to continue but said this arrangement cannot remain “open ended”, as the new party chief has to be selected soon.
She also said that she does not hold anything or any kind of “ill-will” against any of her colleagues irrespective of how hurtful were the remarks made by them.
Gandhi said she considers everyone part of the Congress family, which may have differences, but it should remain together to fight for the cause of the people. Targeting the NDA government, she said the need of the hour is to fight against those who are failing the country.
Rahul Gandhi, sources said, suggested formation of a committee to assist the Congress chief. When asked, K C Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala said the Congress chief has been authorised by the CWC to initiate changes in the party.
Announcing the CWC resolution, Venugopal and Surjewala said the CWC unanimously resolved to strengthen the hands of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi in every possible way. The party also made it clear that no one will be permitted to undermine or weaken the party and its leadership.
The CWC also resolved that inner-party issues cannot be deliberated through the media or in public fora and all such issues must be raised within the party “in the interest of propriety and discipline”.
At the meeting, former prime minister Manmohan Singh led the demand for Sonia Gandhi continuing as Congress president and leader after leader echoed him while attacking the letter writers, particularly Ghulam Nabi Azad, the senior-most signatory and a CWC member.