Sonia Gandhi asks CWC to ready road map for new party chief, organisational elections

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi has told the Congress Working Committee that she doesn't want to continue as party chief and that the meeting may work out a roadmap for electing a new leader and holding organisational polls.

She said this at the CWC meeting which is underway Monday morning to discuss the situation arising out of the letters by many leaders - including Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma and Mukul Wasnik among others - expressing concern about the state of affairs in the party and calling for a visible and active leader.

After her brief address, in which she referenced the points raised by Azad and other pro-changers, she handed over her detailed reply to Venugopal who read it out at the CWC meeting.


Venugopal, who is the AICC General secretary in charge of organization, also informed the CWC about the letters from the pro-changers and accused them of leaking it before the meeting.

Some leaders, including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Defence Minister AK Antony, appealed to Sonia Gandhi to stay on. Pleas to Rahul Gandhi to return as party chief are also expected at the meeting.

Sonia's offer to resign comes amid growing chorus against Rahul Gandhi’s style of functioning as well as calls for an organisation and leadership overhaul. ET has gathered that at least three letters have reached Sonia with signatories going well beyond the 23 now in public.

Some Congress workers gathered outside the party's 24 Akbar Road office - though the CWC meeting is taking place virtually - and shouted slogans supporting the Gandhis.

The placards they carried said "Gandhi pariwar ke alawa koi adhyaksh bana, toh party toot hi jayegi (if anybody outside the Gandhi family becomes chief, the party will break).