STATES, INTERNAL POLLS FOCUS AT CWC MEET

NEW DELHI: The Congress Working Committee meeting on Friday might consider the upcoming assembly elections in four states and the time required for the party’s election authority (CEA) to prepare the ground for internal elections, before drawing up a schedule for the latter, which could see the election of a new president.

The meeting is being closely watched both by the old guard, including the 23 signatories to a August letter to party president Sonia Gandhi seeking sweeping changes in the Congress’ functioning, as well as the young Turks, mainly leaders allied with former president Rahul Gandhi.

The signatories said they are waiting to see how the meeting tries to address the issues they raised. “We also want the Bihar election results taken up for discussion in the CWC,” said one of the letter writers. The party fared poorly winning 19 of the 70 seats it contested.

The young Turks, some Congress leaders said, may yet again demand that the CWC pick Rahul Gandhi as the next party chief . CWC, the highest executive body of the Congress, can appoint a provisional President pending the election of a regular President by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) .

Gandhi himself has given no indication so far that he wants to return to the post he quit after the party’s dismal showing in the 2019 Lok Saha elections. “We asked him several times in the past few months but he hasn’t even given a hint of interest,” added the person.