New Delhi: The Congress Working Committee (CWC) decided to continue Sonia Gandhi as Interim Chairperson of Congress on Monday. After discussion for seven hours in the CWC in virtual meeting on Monday, Sonia Gandhi will continue as interim President of the national party till the next All Indian Congress Working Committee. A heated words of war taken place between the Gandhi family loyalists and the dissident senior leaders in the CWC virtual meeting on Monday.

Starting the CWC meeting, Sonia Gandhi told Congress leader that she will quit as the chief amid divisions in the party over leadership issue. It was deliberated in the meeting that a new chief will be elected within the next six months. Sonia Gandhi in a statement at the CWC meeting said that “A year has lapsed now. In the interest of the party, I ask CWC to begin deliberations to put in a place of process of transition to relieve me from my duties”.

     Her statement came a day after 23 senior Congress leaders wrote a letter to Sonia demanding a “full-time” leadership that is active in the field and “visible” in party offices, dissolution of powers to state units and revamping the CWC in line with the party constitution. 23 Congress senior leaders including Kapil Sibal, Gulam Nabi Azad, Shashi Tharoor and others in a letter demanded that the party need a visible and full time President.

They said in a letter there is a collective responsibility to lead the Congress party inclusive with the members of Gandhi family, after the speech of the Sonia Gandhi at the CWC meeting, next was KC Venugopal and third speaker former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Manmohan Singh said that the seniors dissident letter is unwanted, unwanted he repeated. He urged Sonia to continue as Chairperson or make Rahul Gandhi.

Another senior leader AK Anthony said that the dissident’s letter at this stage to the party chief is cruel. Rahul Gandhi blamed the seniors that their letter is a colluded with BJP and weakening the party. Rahul also said the letter of the dissidents is not the right time, already party is facing many problems and the party chief’s health is not well.

Senior leader Kapil Sibal expressed angry on Rahul Gandhi’s allegations, and he questioned who colluded with BJP. We served the party with a dedication of 30 years. We fight against the BJP in Meghalaya, Chattisgarh and Rajasthan. Another senior leader Gulam Nabi Azad expressed angry and he announced his resignation.

After heated debates Sonia Gandhi was remain as Interim Party Chief for a period of six months. Later the party will elect a full time President. After continuation as the party chief, Sonia Gandhi said “Gone is gone”, I was hurted the contents in the letter, yes, let us work all together for the party. Sonia Gandhi was made the party president after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi resigned from the position in 2019 owning to the party’s defeat in the 2019 General Elections.
The Congress is divided on the leadership matter with a section demanding collective leadership and another reposing faith in the Gandhi family.

Following the dissent letter by a group of senior party leaders, several others including Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Bhagel, as well as several state Congress chiefs rallied behind the Gandhis to continue to ‘lead the party.’

Almost all Lok Sabha MPs of the party have written to Sonia Gandhi expressing solidarity and urging her to continue in her post or re-elect former chief Rahul Gandhi. Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah even asked Sonia to convince Rahul Gandhi to take up the party’s leadership is she feels that her health may not permit for ‘full-fledged dedication​.’