CWC meet Live Updates: Congress passes resolution strengthening Gandhis; dissenters huddle

Sonia Gandhi may appoint party vice-presidents report sources, with a small committee to assist her to make appropriate changes.

"Those who wrote the letter certainly are as fiercely opposed to the BJP as I am or Mr Rahul Gandhi is. There is always discontent, in fact, it is some discontent which brings about change. Unless there is discontent, change won't happen," said P Chidambaram. He also stated that CWC will call AICC at earliest and elections will be held with nominations made.

He added, "No one made the collusion remark. No question of rahul saying such a thing. Evevryone from those 23 is as opposed to the BJP as earlier.  Some concerns were raised, those were addressed."

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday welcomed the unanimous resolution passed by the Congress Working Committee (CWC), asking Sonia Gandhi to continue as party president till the next AICC session and authorising her to take whatever decisions needed, including necessary organisational changes that she may deem inappropriate, to tackle any challenge/situation.

Addressing a press briefing after the 7-hour CWC meeting, Spokespersons KC Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala. on Monday, shared the 5 resolutions adopted by the committee unanimously. Surjewala said that Congress will strengthen the Gandhis' leadership and not allow anything to undermine the party. When asked if action will be taken on the 23 dissenters, he said that Sonia Gandhi was hurt, but did not hold any grudges against them.

"CWC unanimously have taken note of the two letters written by certain Congress leaders and has extensively deliberated on it," said KC Venugopal.

Resolutions adopted by CWC:

• Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi ensured that Congress-ruled states tackled the pandemic effectively and provided access to healthcare and treatment to all sections of the people,  resolutely led the fight against the government from the front. 
• The CWC will do everything to strengthen Sonia and Rahul Gandhi's leadership in every possible way. The CWC makes it clear that no one will be or can be permitted to undermine or weaken the party and its leadership at this juncture
• The CWC notes the internal issues cannot be discussed in the media and must be raised in the party forum
• The CWC asks Sonia Gandhi to make any organisational changes she feels necessary as per the suggestions in the letter.
• The CWC has requested Sonia Gandhi to continue as interim-chief till elections are held as soon as AICC meet can be convened.

Sonia Gandhi in her concluding remarks at CWC said,"We are a large family, we have differences on many occasions but in the end, we come together as one. The need of the hour is to fight for the cause of the people and forces that are failing this country," added Surjewala.

After Congress briefing, Kapil Sibal, Manish Tewari and Shashi Tharoor convene at Ghulam Nabi Azad residence report sources

Speaking to media after CWC meet, PL Punia said:

He added, " We don't need any certificate from BJP, they have their own politics. We are doing our own politics"
 

Sources report that Sonia Gandhi ended the 7-hour long CWC meeting saying,"I am hurt but they are my colleagues. Gone is gone. Now let’s work together". Moreover, Rahul Gandhi too reportedly said I was hurt because at the end of the day I am her son while opining on the dissenting letter which was written while Sonia Gandhi was hospitalised 

Putting another temporary end to the rising tumult in Congress on Monday, interim chief Sonia Gandhi is set to remain at her post till fresh elections are held by AICC in the next six months. Sonia Gandhi took over from Rahul Gandhi as party chief in August 2019, after her son Rahul Gandhi resigned as chief post-Lok Sabha 2019 debacle. She had asked CWC members "to begin deliberations towards the process of transition to relieve her from the duty of party chief", as 23 senior leaders sought 'structural changes' at the party.

Leaders who wrote to Sonia Gandhi over party leadership allegedly backtracked in the CWC saying, "There were some concerns for the betterment of the organisation, wrote letter to convey those. Have full faith in the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi", according to Sources

Amid the escalating discontent brewing within the Congress party, senior leader Ambika Soni has issued a statement asking the party to take 'a strict action' against the 23 signatories to the dissenting letter which includes senior leaders like Kapil Sabil, Ghulam Nabi Azad and others. Soni has demanded action be taken against the leaders 'irrespective' of their seniority. 

Mishra took a jibe at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting and said that the opposition party has several eligible candidates for the post of party chief like Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Raihan Vadra and Miraya Vadra.
"There are many eligible candidates in Congress (for the post of party chief) like Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Raihan Vadra and Miraya Vadra. Congress members should understand that Congress is like the school where only headmaster's child tops the class," Mishra said.- ANI

Taking a swipe at the infighting and the dispute that ensued in the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Monday, BJP leader Manoj Tiwari stated that this situation is a sort of a farewell to the 'fake Gandhis'.

"Those who ruled the country by claiming the title of Gandhis artificially, those people might have to depart. Many voices have risen in the Congress party against the Gandhis. There are only a handful trying to save the Gandhis," Tiwari said while speaking to Republic TV.

"If they do not have people for the post of president, then tell us, we will give them an ordinary worker from our party, it will be better than that," says BJP's Uma Bharti after Congress party implodes in CWC meeting. 

"I said that the Congress is a sinking ship and now the country is watching it sink. Rahul Gandhi himself called senior leaders of Congress 'traitors', Ghulam Nabi Azad is ready to resign and resentful of Kapil Sibal is tweeting," he said.

Responding to the stunning implosion within the CWC meeting following Rahul Gandhi accusing senior party leaders of being 'in cahoots with BJP', former Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath refused to back Rahul as the next CWC President, opining that Sonia Gandhi must continue to hold power, as per sources.

In an explosive development during the all-important Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Monday, former party chief Rahul Gandhi said that the dissenting party members who wrote the letter asking Sonia Gandhi to step down as the interim president are "in cahoots with the BJP," Republic TV sources said.

AIMIM Chief Owaisi tweets in support of Azad says, "Ghulam Nabi sahab you accused me exactly of exactly this. Now you're accused of the same. 45 years of ghulami (slavery) for this? Now it's proven that anyone opposing Janeudhari leadership will be branded B-Team I hope Muslims now know the high cost of loyalty to Congress."

As the party faces major revolt in the CWC online meeting, with senior leaders hitting out at each other, Ahmed Patel has once again proposed the name of Rahul Gandhi for the CWC President's post. 

Inside sources from the CWC meeting have revealed that Rahul Gandhi's camp has said that the details of the letter should not have been released to the media. Any discourse between the party members should be discussed in the CWC and not before the media. The RG camp has also alleged that the 23 dissenting members “betrayed” Congress by going to the media, as per sources

Divya Spandana hits out at Congress leaders, blames them for leaking information to the media. "Not only did they leak the letter to the media, they continue to feed/leak minute to minute conversations of the CWC meeting that's going on right now to the media. Amazing!" 

Top sources inside congress allege that the letter by 23 MLAs was the brainchild of two congress leaders who are not signatories to the letter. The two Congress leaders who have facilitated the dissenting letter have distanced themselves from either camp for now. One of the two leaders is not even present in Delhi. Brains behind the letter pretending to be “neutral”. Fight between the two camps expected to escalate

Priyanka Gandhi has hit out at senior leaders and signatories calling them 'double-faced' as the fight between camps escalates. 

In a big statement, Randeep Singh Surjewala snubbed Kapil Sibal on Twitter, claiming that Rahul Gandhi had 'never said a word' on leaders 'colluding with the BJP.' Calling Sibal's tweet 'misinformation,' Surjewala asked people to not be 'misled' by discourse. 

In a big development, four senior Congress leaders logged-off from the CWC meeting underway, leaving in protest against Rahul Gandhi's comments blaming loyalists over "colluding with the BJP."

Ghulam Nabi Azad slammed Rahul Gandhi over his claims saying that senior leaders were "colluding with the BJP" asking the latter even offering to resign if Rahul Gandhi's statement turns out to be true.

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) called for a meeting after 23 senior leaders within the Grand old party, wrote to party's interim-Chief Sonia Gandhi raising a 5-Point Agenda to revive the Party. The letter emphasised on the need for active leadership in the party and raised questions about the party's condition and direction, demanding an internal election to the CWC. The five-page letter - drafted by two senior leaders bears the signatures of leaders from the Congress' 'old guard ' and the 'young guard' (i.e Rahul Gandhi supporters). Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, Kapil Sibal, Manish Tiwari,  Anand Sharma, Shashi Tharoor, Jitin Prasad, Veerappa Moily, Pramod Tiwari, PJ Kurien, Sandeep Dikshit, as per sources.