Sonia Gandhi to continue as Congress chief: CWC

March 13: Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Sunday decided that Sonia Gandhi will continue as the party president. Days after its poll debacle in five states, the CWC meeting, which lasted for four-and-half-hours, was attended by Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and P Chidambaram, among others. “We all have faith in her leadership,” said Kharge.

A statement issued after the meeting read, “The CWC unanimously reaffirms its faith in the leadership of Smt. Sonia Gandhi and requests the Congress President to lead from the front, address the organisational weaknesses, effect necessary & comprehensive organisational changes in order to take on the political challenges.”

Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi in her speech said that if the party feels we all three (herself, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) are ready to resign, but CWC unanimously rejected this. The Congress on Sunday admitted that the results of the assembly elections in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur are a cause of concern but at the same time also said that no call for a change in the party’s leadership was discussed in the CWC meeting.

The CWC unanimously reaffirms its faith in the leadership of Smt. Sonia Gandhi and requests the Congress President to lead from the front, address the organisational weaknesses, effect necessary & comprehensive organisational changes in order to take on the political challenges. pic.twitter.com/OffiEFhPex

— Congress (@INCIndia) March 13, 2022

On the question of Rahul Gandhi taking the mantle of the party, as many senior Congress leaders, including Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, pitched, Surjewala said, “Yes, every leader wants Rahul Gandhi to come forward and lead. But an election will decide that.”