New Delhi | Jagran News Desk: All eyes will be on Sonia Gandhi when members of the Congress Working Committee meet on Monday to discuss a letter by top party leaders to the interim president seeking sweeping reforms and "a full-time, effective leadership". The developments of the CWC meeting will be closely watched by the leaders of both the Congress as well as the BJP as Sonia Gandhi may announce her resignation amid growing demand for leadership change. Congress may also decide on a president from outside the Nehru-Gandhi family as both Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, children of Sonia Gandhi, are said to be reluctant for the top job.

Below are the latest updates on Congress CWC meeting:

  • The Congress Working Committee's virtual meeting on Monday turned ugly after Rahul Gandhi reportedly accused the writers of dissent letter of colluding with the BJP. Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, one of the 23 leaders who wrote the letter to Sonia Gandhi calling for sweeping reforms, has offered to quit if Rahul Gandhi's allegations are proven.
  • Another leader Kapil Sibal, who had also signed the letter, also objected to Rahul Gandhi's allegations and said, "Rahul Gandhi says “we are colluding with BJP“...Last 30 years have never made a statement in favour of BJP on any issue. Yet “we are colluding with the BJP“."
  • The Congress has clarified that Rahul Gandhi didn't make the "collusion with BJP" remark. Sibal also withdrew his tweet after personal message from Rahul Gandhi.
  • Earlier, Sonia Gandhi asked the party to start a process to replace her as Congress president. According to reports, Gandhi told party leaders to look for a non-Gandhi chief. However, former prime minister Manmohan Singh has asked her to continue.
  • Speaking about the letter, Rahul Gandhi had said that Rahul Gandhi, it was written at a time when Congress government in Rajasthan was facing a crisis, the right place to discuss what was written in the letter was CWC meeting and not the media. "This was done in collusion with the BJP."
  • Besides leadership change, the letter reportedly signed by leaders like Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari, Kapil Sibal, Anand Sharma, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Veerrapa Moili among a few others have also called for decentralisation of power and elections to pick the members of the Congress Working Committee - the top decision-making body of the party.
  • Empowerment of state units and organisational elections at every level were among the few reforms suggested by the leaders in their letter to Sonia Gandhi.
  • The letter seemed to have divided the Congress party in two with a section of leaders coming out in support of Gandhis. Punjab CM Amarinder Singh, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel and former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah came out in support of the Gandhi family.
  • "Sonia Gandhi should continue as long as she wants; Rahul Gandhi should take over after her as he is fully competent," Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said.
  • Rajasthan Congress leader Sachin Pilot, who had recently revolted against Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot but pacified by Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi, has called for unity in the party while hailing the "sacrifice" of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi for the people and the party.

Posted By: Shashikant Sharma