In Points: At CWC meet, election for Congress president scheduled next year

The Congress president election is scheduled to be held in September 2022. The announcement comes as a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) was held in New Delhi on Saturday.

The CWC, the party's highest decision-making body, met to determine the schedule for a membership drive and grassroots-to-top organisational election, which would involve the electionof new party chief to replace Sonia Gandhi as interim president.

Sonia Gandhi has been serving as the party's acting president since Rahul Gandhi announced his resignation following the party's abysmal performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Highlights of CWC meet:

• Gandhi addressed the matter of organisational elections during today's meeting, saying, "The entire organisation wants the Congress to be revived. However, this will requireunity and prioritizing party goals. It requires self-control and discipline beyond everything else. Since the CWC requested me to return as Congress President in 2019, I've been very aware that I've been acting asinterim Congress President."

• Responding to queries by Congress dissenters over who takes decisions in the party, Sonia Gandhi said, "I am, if you will allow me to say so, a full-time and hands on CongressPresident.”

• The Congress President was responding to questions raised by a group of leaders led by Kapil Sibal over the party's decision making process and apprehending that former PresidentRahul Gandhi is taking all the decisions.

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• During the meeting, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad stated, "We have complete faith in Sonia Gandhi ji, and no one is challenging her leadership."

• At the CWC meeting, Ashok Gehlot requested that Rahul Gandhi lead Congress, which was endorsed by all members of the Congress Working Committee.

• In the meeting, Sonia slammed the Congress leaders for speaking to the media. 

"I have always appreciated frankness. There is no need to speak to me through the media. So let us all have a free and honest discussion. But what should get communicated outsidethe four walls of this room is the collective decision of the CWC."

• The Congress president stated that the party's preparations for the upcoming Vidhan Sabha elections had already begun a long time ago.