At the key Congress Working Committee (CWC) meet Saturday in New Delhi, Sonia Gandhi iterated her party role as a "full-time and hands-on" president. She called for unified efforts within the party in the wake of Congress, India's primary opposition to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), seeing dissenters and crises.
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Gandhi has been interim president for Congress since 2019 after her son, Rahul Gandhi, stepped down from the position. "I am acutely conscious of the fact that I have been interim Congress President ever since the CWC, asked me to return in this capacity in 2019. We had thereafter, you may recall, finalised a roadmap for electing a regular President by June 30th 2021," she said.
According to NDTV, sources claim Congress is looking at a reshuffle in positions within the party with an election to be held next year in September.
Sonia Gandhi At Major CWC Meeting: Here's All She Said
Last year, a letter from 23 Congress leaders (including some signatories from the senior G-23 ingroup) had called for "full time" leadership and an overhaul of party leadership. The letter had prompted rumours then of Gandhi resigning from her post as interim president, which she dispelled in August 2020. Read more here.
In what appeared as a direct message to the signatories, Gandhi at the CWC meet said, "I have always appreciated frankness. There is no need to speak to me through the media. So let us all have a free and honest discussion."
Senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma were in attendance at the CWC meet.
"We face many challenges but if we are united, focus on party's interests alone, we will do well," she added.
Several states, including the significant Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, are going to state polls at dates before that of the reported Congress internal polls in September 2022.
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