Rahul Gandhi to be coronated on December 19

NEW DELHI: The Congress working committee passed a resolution today to make Rahul Gandhi their new party president. Rahul Gandhi will be coronated on 19th December.

The meeting was chaired by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and attended by top party leaders, including former prime minister Manmohan Singh, and party general secretaries.

Rahul Gandhi is expected to be the only candidate in the fray, the sources said.

The Congress working committee announced the much-awaited election date to complete the prolonged election procedure.

The move comes after the Election Commission set a deadline of December 31 for the party to complete the process of organisational elections.

According to party sources, new Congress president will be elected between December 1 and December 11.

The 47-year-old Rahul Gandhi is expected to take over the reins in the first week of December, ahead of Gujarat Assembly elections starting December 9, the sources said.

Rahul Gandhi is expected to be elected unopposed but the Congress has declared that the last date for any challenger to come forward is December 4.

The CEA chairman Mullappally Ramachandran later announced at a press conference that nomination papers for the Presidential candidate will be filed from 1 to 4 December. The scrutiny and announcement of valid candidates will be announced on 5, December. This means if only Rahul Gandhi is found to be in the fray, announcenent about his election can be made on the same day, 5, December.

The overwhelming feeling of senior leaders is for Sonia Gandhi assuming a mentor's role from then, especially in overseeing the colaition management of Congress in the run up to the next Lok Sabha polls.

Here is the schedule for the election of Congress President, as approved by the Congress Working Committee today.

Here is the schedule for the election of Congress President, as approved by the Congress Working Committee today. pic.twitter.com/MF43tsZYlY

— Congress (@INCIndia) November 20, 2017

(With Inputs from PTI & ET Bureau)