New Delhi, August 24: The Congress Working Committee (CWC) was held on Monday. In the meeting, it was decided that Sonia Gandhi would continue as party's interim president for the time being. The elections for the new party president will take place within the next six months. The CWC meeting witnessed intense action and reactions between the members. Rahul Gandhi Did Not Make 'Collusion With BJP' Remark at CWC Meet, Says Congress; Kapil Sibal Deletes His Tweet Criticising Wayanad MP.

The meeting took place a day after a letter was written by 23 top leaders of the Congress surfaced. In the letter, the top party leaders, including Kapil Sibal, Shashi Tharoor, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Prithviraj Chavan, Vivek Tankha and Anand Sharma called for sweeping reforms and "a full-time, visible leadership". Haryana Congress leader Kumari Selja targeting them for writing it to seek a leadership change as she branded those who wrote the letter as "agents of the BJP". CWC Meet: Sonia Gandhi to Stay Congress President For Now, Says 'I'm Hurt, But We Need to Work Together And Move On'.

Here are Key Highlights of The CWC Meet:

  1. As the CWC meeting began, Sonia Gandhi offered to step down from the party's top post. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh rejected the move as he asked her to continue. As the meeting progressed, senior Congress leader AK Antony also questioned the letter.

  2. Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi reportedly targeted party leaders for their timing in asking for a leadership change. Reports also surfaced that he accused party members who wrote a letter against the leadership of colluding with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

  3. Soon after these reports surfaced, Kapil Sibal tweeted, "Rahul Gandhi says 'we are colluding with BJP'. Succeeded in Rajasthan High Court defending the Congress Party. Defending party in Manipur to bring down BJP government. Last 30 years have never made a statement in favour of BJP on any issue. Yet 'we are colluding with the BJP'!" However, he deleted his tweet later. He said that he was informed by Rahul Gandhi personally that the former party chief had never made the "colluding with BJP" remark attributed to him.

  4. While the Haryana Congress leader accused the dissenters of colluding with the BJP calling them "agent" of the saffron party, Randeep Singh Surjewala tried to calm nerves and made it clear that no such remark was made by Rahul Gandhi and neither did he endorse the pitch. The Congress asked the party leaders to not focus on the "media reports" and said that the former party chief "did not say a word of this nature".

  5. Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad even offered to resign. He said, "If you can prove that I am colluding with BJP, I will quit right now." Azad also praised Sonia Gandhi for leading the party amid the difficult times. Later, the senior Congress leader said that  the former party chief didn't say that the letter in question was written at the behest of the BJP.

  6. Congress leader Ambika Soni launched a scathing attack on the party leaders who wrote the letter. The sources said Soni told the meeting held through video conferencing that action is taken in case of lack of discipline against functionaries at the block level also according to party's constitution and there are ways to take action irrespective of the stature of the leader.

  7. Many Congress chief ministers including Ashok Gehlot rallied behind the Gandhi family. They said Sonia Gandhi should stay as the party chief or Rahul Gandhi should take the role of party chief again.

  8. Sonia Gandhi while concluding the meeting asked the party members to move on and work together. "I am hurt but they are my colleagues. Gone is gone, let's work together now," reported NDTV quoting the Congress president as saying.

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

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 24, 2020 07:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).