Sonia Gandhi to remain interim president till new party chief chosen

sources said while CWC members talked of election of new president in one year, party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that the process should start in six months

Sonia Gandhi will continue as interim president of Congress and the election of new party chief will take place as soon as possible, party leader KH Muniyappa said after a crucial meeting of Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Monday. "Madam (Sonia Gandhi) has to continue and the election will take place as soon as possible which is the unanimous decision of the working committee," Muniyappa, who is a special invitee to CWC, told ANI He said there was no difference of opinion on the leadership.

"There is no different opinion on leadership and even Ghulam Nabi Azadji, Mukul Wasnikji and Anand Sharmaji have given in writing that there is no dispute on leadership," Muniyappa said. Sources said while CWC members talked of election of new president in one year, party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that the process should start in six months.

They said a session of AICC session is likely to be convened in six months and a new president will be elected. Many leaders demanded Rahul Gandhi should again take the post of party chief. The key CWC meeting, which went on for seven hours, was held after a controversy erupted over a letter by more than 20 senior leaders to Sonia Gandhi in which they called for "full time" active leadership, sweeping reforms and raised questions about the party's present condition and direction. They also demanded elections to CWC.

Apart from Sonia Gandhi, the virtual meeting was also attended by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, party general secretary KC Venugopal, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and former union ministers Mallikarjun Kharge and AK Antony.

Sonia Gandhi was appointed as an interim President on August 10, 2019 by the CWC after Rahul Gandhi stepped down as party chief, taking the responsibility for the party's disastrous defeat in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

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