The Congress Working Committee which met at Sonia Gandhi’s 10, Janpath residence today paved way for Rahul Gandhi's elevation as the party chief. Rahul's coronation as Congress president -- four years after his appointment as party vice-president -- looks set for December 19, when the party will declare the results of its internal organisational polls.
At its meeting today, the CWC approved the schedule for the internal polls. As per the schedule of polls, notification for Congress president poll will be issued on December 1, nominations will be held on December 4, voting on December 16 and counting of votes, which will in most certainty see Rahul emerge victorious, will be held on December 19.
Rumours are rife that Rahul is set to be the only candidate in fray and while his appointment as the party president is imminent, it is the dilemma of its timing that appeared to have caught the Congress in a fix. While Rahul’s appointment is a given, the decision that the CWC needed to arrive at is meeting was whether to announce it now or after the results of the Assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh are declared.
The party has chosen to coronate Rahul as the party head on December 19, a day after the results to the Assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh are announced.
The CWC meet today assumed significance for the Congress in view of the Election Commission’s December 31 deadline to complete party polls.
CWC meeting: As it Happened
01:10 PM: Full text of Congress President Sonia Gandhi's statement at the CWC meet
01:00 PM: Here is the schedule for the election of Congress president as approved by the CWC at its meeting today
The schedule of Congress party's organisational polls.
12:55 PM: The fortunes of a handful are being built by destroying the future of the poor and the oppressed: Sonia Gandhi in CWC meet
12:50 PM: A year later, demonetisation has done nothing but rub salt on the wounds of distressed farmers, small traders, housewives and daily workers, says Sonia Gandhi
12:20 PM:
12:03 PM: In case there is no candidate apart from Rahul Gandhi, Congress will announce his candidature on the last date of scrutiny, ANI reported.
12:00 PM: Notification for Congress President poll to be issued on December 1, nomination December 4, voting on December 16 and counting on December 19.
11.35 AM: The meeting comes in the backdrop of trouble for the Congress in Gujarat where it is hoping to make a dent to the BJP's victory run. Its alliance with Hardik Patel-led PAAS appears to have suffered a jolt with Hardik's supporters protesting against the Congress barely hours before the leader was to make an official announcement of the Congress-PAAS alliance.
11:10 AM: Images from inside the meeting
10:55 AM: Congress Working Committee meeting begins at Sonia Gandhi's residence.
10:30 AM: More leaders arrive at Congress president's residence.
10:00 AM: Congress leaders begin to gather at Sonia Gandhi's residence for the CWC meet. The meeting is scheduled to begin shortly.
09:45 AM: BJP's IT cell head Amit Malviya takes a dig at Rahul's elevation, says Congress facing a dilemma of whether to name Rahul party head before or after their 'loss' in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat elections
09:31 AM: Once the schedule for the election is approved by the CWC, the party's Central Election Authority will notify the same. The election process is likely to be completed before the Gujarat Assembly polls, the first phase of which will be held on December 9, reports said.
09:30 AM Congress Working Committee to meet at Sonia Gandhi’s residence 10, Janpath at 10.30 am today. Decision on dates for organisational polls likely.
