Congress Working Committee to meet on Monday

Final step in process to elect Rahul Gandhi as party president

Sonia Gandhi

Party president Sonia Gandhi has called a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meet on Monday morning, to notify the schedule for the election of the next president of the Indian National Congress.

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

PCCs’ concurrence

This notification will clear the decks for the elevation of vice- president Rahul Gandhi as its next president. The Congress has already completed the task of constituting Pradesh Congress Committees (PCCs).

Top sources in the party confirmed to

The Hindu that the CWC meet is the next step in electing Mr. Gandhi as party president. “Through the year, organisational polls, constitution of PCCs had been completed, and this CWC has been called for discussing and finalising a schedule for the election to the post of president,” said a senior general secretary of the party.

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Dates for filing nomination, scrutiny of nomination, and withdrawal will be notified, ballots to be issued (if required) and date of polling will be decided.

As of now, Mr. Gandhi is the only candidate in the fray and is likely be elected unopposed — a sentiment conveyed by nearly all the PCCs, who have passed resolutions asking that he take over as president.

Before Gujarat results

The entire process may take 10-14 days, according to sources, which means that Mr Gandhi may elevated before results for the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh polls are announced. The EC had given two extensions to the Congress to complete organisational polls.

Various dates, including the birth centenary of former prime minister Indira Gandhi (November 19) were suggested as possible dates when this might happen. When it didn’t, a new date was finalised.

Once elected, Mr Gandhi will succeed his mother, who has held the post uninterruptedly for 19 years — the longest serving party president.

Mr. Gandhi faces not just the challenge of pulling the party out of a long running electoral slump but also effecting a generational shift within the party organisation. With his election, party leaders are hoping, both ends would be achieved.