Find an alternate Congress chief, Sonia tells colleagues at CWC

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday (August 24) reiterated her decision to step down as the party’s interim chief and asked for a replacement to be chosen, while addressing the Congress Working Committee meeting.

The meeting began with Congress leader KC Venugopal reading out Sonia’s letter asking to be relieved of her responsibilities. Sonia who addressed the meeting after Venugopal asked the party to start discussions to choose her successor.

The meeting was scheduled after at least 23 senior Congress leaders wrote to Sonia demanding a full-time, visible president and overhauling of the organisational structure including elections to the CWC and reconstitution of the Parliamentary board.

Massive support poured for the Gandhis on Sunday after the “pro-reform” leaders went public, with Congress chief ministers leading the calls for Sonia Gandhi to stay until Rahul Gandhi takes charge.

Almost all Lok Sabha MP’s of the party have written to Sonia Gandhi expressing solidarity and urging her to continue in her post or instal Rahul Gandhi.

Several state units including Delhi and Rajasthan passed resolutions favouring the leadership of Gandhi’s after a letter from a section of senior party leaders demanded sweeping reforms in the party, going to the extent of questioning the current CWC’s ability to guide the party in the fight against the BJP.

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Ironically, at least three of the dissenters are themselves part of the same CWC. These include Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma and Mukul Wasnik.

Several party leaders, while supporting the continuation of Gandhi’s at the helm, accused those behind the letter of playing into the hands of the BJP and attempting to weaken the party at a time when there was a need to close ranks against the NDA government.

Haryana Congress chief Kumari Selja said, “we stand firmly behind Sonia Gandhi. This is the time to close ranks against the BJP and not the time to show cracks.”

The dissenting leaders, meanwhile, also said that the party has failed to conduct an honest introspection of its losses in 2014 and 2019, adding that the uncertainty over leadership has demoralised workers.

Related news: Sonia’s offer to resign sends loyalists rallying behind her, Rahul

This is the second challenge to Sonia Gandhi’s leadership after the one in 1999 when the then leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sharad Pawar challenged her foreign origins in order to keep her from being named the party’s prime ministerial face in the general elections that year.

Sonia Gandhi had resigned in the CWC, which rejected her move unanimously bringing her back as party president. While Sonia went on to become the longest serving Congress president, Pawar and rebels had to quit to form the NCP.