CWC to meet today, Rahul Gandhi’s elevation as Congress president to be discussed

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) is set to meet on Monday to take final call over Rahul Gandhi’s elevation as the party’s president. The prolonged suspense over Rahul Gandhi’s elevation as the party president could be over prior to Gujarat polls.

The election authority of the party has decided last date of filing nomination papers to be December 1 and if there is a contest, internal elections will be held on December 8.

The opposition party is running behind schedule to elect its new chief. The Election Commission has set December 31 as the deadline to complete its internal poll.

Congress leader Janardan Dwivedi told the media that the dates for election of the next Congress president will be fixed on Monday. “If there is only one nomination then the name of next Congress president will be announced on the last day of nomination which is December 1,” added the senior Congressman.

Since 2000, no one has filed for the post of the party chief. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi has indicated willingness to take over the position of the party president.

Gandhi addressing students at University of California, Berkeley, on September, had said that he was ready to lead the Congress but the mandate had to come from within the party. “I am absolutely ready to do that.  We have an organisational election process which decides who the next chief will be,” he said.

Majority of states have unanimously passed resolution demanding the 47-year-old Rahul Gandhi to be made the party chief. 

Sonia Gandhi has been holding the the post of Congress president for more than 19 consecutive years.