Sonia Gandhi appointed interim Congress president, CWC meeting inconclusive

Congress Working Committee has appointed Sonia Gandhi as interim president on Saturday. Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad confirmed to media after meeting ended.

AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal during a media briefing said that CWC unanimously wanted to Rahul Gandhi to work as party's chief but since he declined y requested Sonia Gandhi to take over until new president was elected. He added that Sonia Gandhi agreed to proposal, reby becoming interim Congress president.

"Congress Working Committee unanimously resolved that Rahul Gandhi should continue as Congress president and requested him to accept this decision, however, he declined to withdraw his resignation.Congress Working Committee (CWC) unanimously resolved to request Sonia Gandhi to take over as Interim President, pending election of a regular president by AICC," he said.

Rahul Gandhi said to media that nda of meeting digressed towards issue of Jammu and Kashmir. Rahul Gandhi spoke to media saying that he was called midway as party received concerning reports from Jammu and Kashmir.

"I was called by Congress Working Committee because between work y were doing to choose next president some reports have come that things in Jammu and Kashmir are going very wrong, re are reports of people dying in Kashmir. We stopped deliberation on Congress chief and had a presentation on what was going on in Jammu and Kashmir. It is very important that government and Prime Minister makes it very clear and transparent exactly what is happening in Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and must tell country what was happening. We are extremely concerned about reports that are coming and government needs to assu country and tell what happened and be completely transparent." 

Sources to Republic had said that reports of all five committees were supposed to be submitted and taken up for consideration by CWC. Sources had said committees proposed name of Rahul Gandhi once again. Even committee in which Priyanka was re has proposed Rahul Gandhi's name. party's top decision-making body had reconvened at 8 pm to discuss reports of five groups, formed earlier in day, to scrutinise names of potential successor to Rahul Gandhi, but failed to come to a final decision.

Some of early reactions to Sonia Gandhi becoming interim chief

Senior party leader Anand Sharma thanked Gandhi for accepting post of interim chief.

Congress leader from Assam Gaurav Gogoi welcomed decision to make Gandhi interim president.

Congress wants Rahul Gandhi as president

Congress Working Committee (CWC) met for second time on Saturday evening to take a final call on new party president after a number of leaders, including state chiefs and MPs, backed Rahul Gandhi to continue on post despite his refusal to reconsider his resignation.

Sources said during process of consultation with state PCC chiefs, Congress legislature party leaders and party MPs, re was a consensus on Rahul Gandhi continuing as party chief. However, Gandhi had in morning asserted that he would t take back his resignation, after CWC members unanimously urged him to reconsider. During wider consultation process, only a few suggested or names while a majority of m said party will face desertions if Rahul Gandhi does t remain leader. Some even told Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to prevail upon Rahul to reconsider his May 25 resignation.

Sonia says she and Rahul won't attend CWC meet

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had recused mselves from consultation process saying y cant be part of it as y have been Congress presidents in past and would t like opinion of party leaders to be influenced in any manner. "re is process of consultation and naturally Rahul ji and myself, we cant be part of that consultation," Sonia Gandhi told reporters. Asked how ir names were in sub-groups for consultations, she said, "That's obviously a mistake, because we cant be in that."

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CWC divides into region-wise groups for consultation 

At 11 am, Congress' top brass, including ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh, party general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi, Ahmed Patel, A K Antony, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge and P Chidambaram, went into a huddle at All India Congress Committee headquarters here. CWC decided to have consultations with leaders from across country and it was divided into five groups for different regions -- rast, east, rth, west and south.

CWC group for rast region included top party leaders such as Ahmed Patel, Ambika Soni and former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat. group for eastern region included AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal, ex-Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi and former Union minister Kumari Selja. rrn region group included Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jyotiraditya Scindia and P Chidambaram. western region group was has leaders such as Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge, A K Antony and Motilal Vora.  group for sourn region included Manmohan Singh, Anand Sharma and Mukul Wasnik. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, his deputy Sachin Pilot, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy were also part of consultation process.

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