Amid a leadership crisis, the Congress’s top decision-making body CWC will meet here on August 10 when it is likely to deliberate on finding Rahul Gandhi”s successor as the party president.
The meeting comes after several senior party leaders such as Shashi Tharoor and Karan Singh voiced concern over lack of clarity on the leadership issue ever since Gandhi announced his resignation at a CWC meet on May 25 after the Lok Sabha election debacle.
“It has been decided to hold the next Congress Working Committee Meeting on Saturday, 10th of August, 11 AM at AICC,” Congress general secretary organisation K C Venugopal tweeted on Sunday.
Hours after the announcement of the crucial meet, Tharoor said the CWC should appoint an interim president immediately and then hold polls for the party chief”s post as a leader elected by workers will be empowered and have more credibility.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Congress chief Milind Deora suggested the names of Sachin Pilot and Jyotiraditya Scindia for the post of party president.
Asked about Deora”s remarks and calls for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to take over as chief, Tharoor said he has not talked about individuals, but about a process that needs to be followed in electing the president.
“I had suggested and the AIPC also endorsed it that polls should held in the party. The constitution also says that the CWC should appoint an interim president and then hold polls. The only question is whether there should be a smaller AICC or expanded AICC,” Tharoor said addressing a press conference after an All India Professionals” Congress (AIPC) meet.
“There is one AICC (All India Congress Committee) with around 1,000 delegates and the other of about 10,000 in which PCC members are also there. In my opinion if 10,000 workers elect someone, that person will be more empowered,” he said.
The crucial meet is likely to deliberate on the way forward for the party in the wake of Gandhi quitting. Issues related with settling the leadership question are likely to top the agenda, sources said.
According to the Congress constitution, if an exigency arises then the senior-most general secretary should deal with the routine tasks of the Congress president and then the working committee should name an interim president until a new president is elected by the AICC.
The CWC meeting would be the first since Gandhi had announced his decision to quit as party chief. The CWC had then rejected his resignation and authorised him to restructure the party at all levels.
Gandhi had made it clear that he would not continue as president and neither would any member of his family be the next chief.
Top Congress leaders have been pondering over who could succeed Gandhi and several rounds of meetings have taken place, but a decision on his successor has not been taken yet.
Many names have been doing the rounds as possible choice for Congress president, with several leaders suggesting that a young leader should lead the party.
Interestingly, even though Rahul Gandhi had ruled out the possibility of a Gandhi family member succeeding him, several leaders such as Punjab chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Tharoor have voiced support for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra throwing her hat in the ring.
In an interview to on Saturday, veteran Congress leader Karan Singh said Priyanka Gandhi will be a “unifying force” and will enthuse cadres if she takes on the mantle of party president.
Last month, Singh had said he was “aghast” at the disorientation into which the party has fallen following Gandhi”s resignation, and urged the working committee to meet immediately under the chairmanship of former prime minister Manmohan Singh and take necessary decisions.
The party has also been grappling with a series of desertions by leaders from Karnataka and Maharashtra to the latest being that of Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Sinh, with several leaders citing indecision and confusion within the rank and file of the party as a reason to quit.
The party had said last week that the CWC would meet after the current session of Parliament, that ends next Wednesday.
