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Sparks fly at CWC meet, but reluctant Sonia to remain at helm
AICC session will be called at the earliest to start the process of electing a new chief
By
migrator
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New Delhi
After a marathon seven-hour-long meeting marked by high drama, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Monday decided that Sonia Gandhi will continue as the party’s interim president and effect necessary organisational changes while an AICC session will be called at the earliest to start the process of electing a new chief.
In her opening remarks at the party’s highest decision-making body, Sonia Gandhi, who was made the party’s interim chief a year ago following resignation of her son Rahul Gandhi from the post, offered to quit in the wake of a letter written by over 20 leaders, who had demanded sweeping organisational reforms, a collective leadership and an “active, full-time and visible” president.
Though a large section of the leaders backed Sonia Gandhi and requested here to stay on to lead the grand old party, there was a high-drama at the meeting held over video conferencing -- tweets were posted and deleted, insinuation of the BJP connection behind the letter were reportedly made and denied by the Congress. In her concluding remarks, Sonia agreed to continue but said this arrangement cannot remain “open ended”. She also said that she does not hold any kind of “ill-will” against any of her colleagues irrespective of how hurtful their remarks were.
Azad does a Sibal, says Rahul didn’t talk of BJP push
After the heated exchange of words at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Monday over the alleged “colluding with BJP” remark, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad clarified that former party chief Rahul Gandhi didn’t say that the letter in question was written at the behest of the BJP, neither in the CWC meeting or outside.
In a series of tweets, Azad, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, said, “A section of media is wrongly attributing that in the CWC I told Rahul Gandhi to prove that the letter written by us is in collusion with BJP — let me make it very clear that Rahul Gandhi has neither in CWC or outside said that this letter was written at the behest of BJP.”
“What I said was, on Sunday some Congress person had said that we did it at the behest of the BJP and in that context I said ‘it is most unfortunate that some colleagues (outside CWC) have accused us of collusion with BJP, and if those people can prove this allegation, I will resign’,” he said. His remarks came after the CWC meeting on Monday witnessed volatile scenes with several senior leaders, including Azad, even offered to resign.
Sibal withdraws tweet after Rahul personally clarified on his ‘BJP remark’
Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Monday withdrew his tweet in which he had hit out at Rahul Gandhi, and said the former party chief had informed him personally that he had never made the “colluding with the BJP” remark. As the CWC meeting was underway, it was reported that Rahul Gandhi had lashed out at the letter writers, Sibal tweeted, “Rahul 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’!”
Sibal said a little later that he was withdrawing the tweet. “Was informed by Rahul Gandhi personally that he never said what was attributed to him. I therefore withdraw my twee,” he said. Sibal then deleted his earlier tweet in which he had hit out at Gandhi. Tagging Sibal’s earlier tweet, Congress’ chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also said that Rahul Gandhi hasn’t said a word of this nature nor alluded to it. “Don’t be mislead by false media discourse or misinformation being spread. But yes, we all need to work together in fighting the draconian Modi rule rather than fighting & hurting each other and the Congress,” Surjewala tweeted.
DISCORD SPLIT WIDE OPEN
- Manmohan Singh led the demand for Sonia Gandhi continuing as Cong president and leader after leader echoed him while attacking the letter writers, particularly Azad
- The CWC meeting was called to discuss an August 7 letter by 23 top leaders, including Ghulam Nabi Azad, Kapil Sibal, Shashi Tharoor and Anand Sharma, which called for sweeping reforms in the party and flagged “uncertainty over leadership”
- An upset Sonia Gandhi started the meeting by telling the party she wanted out of the job, which she had taken for one year, and asking the party to start looking for a new chief
- Reports that Rahul Gandhi also accused the letter writers of colluding with the BJP led to a massive backlash before the Congress put out an emphatic denial
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