FILE IMAGE
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) is expected to witness a major showdown in a debate over the leadership issue on Monday. The highest decision-making body of the party will meet at 11 am through video conference amid a debate raging in the Congress over the uncertainty related to its leadership.
Sources have revealed that a letter written by 23 senior leaders of the Congress party could be the talking point in tomorrow's CWC meeting. The letter raises many questions on the functioning of the Congress party post 2014 Lok Sabha debacle.
The CWC meet comes close on the heels of Congress President Sonia Gandhi completing a year as the interim party chief, a post she accepted last year after her son Rahul Gandhi stepped down.
According to sources, the letter was signed by top leaders including Ghulam Nabi Azad, Kapil Sibal, Bhupender Singh Hooda, Veerappa Moily, Raj Babbar, Milind Deora, Sandeep Dixit, Renuka Chaudhary and Manish Tewari. However, when India TV contacted the signatories about the letter, none of them confirmed it.
The leaders, in the letter, have advocated for a full-fledged president and argued that uncertainty over the leadership has demoralized workers and weakened the Congress party. They also argued that the party needs a full time and active leadership that is visible on the ground. The letter further said that no honest introspection has happened even after the defeat in Lok Sabha elections.
The leaders were of the view that the CPP meetings and their functioning have only become "customary" for Congress President's address and obituaries.
A senior leader said he doesn't have any idea about the letter and would speak only after the CWC meeting. Another senior leader said it is an internal matter of the party and he would not comment on it.
