CWC splits into 5 huddles to discuss next Congress chief, all 3 Gandhis in separate groups, Full list accessed

The crucial Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting to pick a successor for Rahul Gandhi has witnessed the party dividing itself into five groups region-wise, with the groups set to huddle up and then present the group view on what will happen next. 

5 Congress huddles to discuss next step:

The following are the groups, with the left column representing the region and location where the groups will be meeting in the Congress HQ, while the corresponding right column lists the members in those respective groups, with the name of the group's leader underlined.

For instance,  the North East region group will meet in Ambika Soni's office, where Arun Yadav will lead Ambika Soni, Ahmed Patel, Oommen Chandy, Harish Rawat, Deepak Babaria, Balasaheb Thorat, Anuragh Narayan Singh, KH Muniyappa, Luizinho Faleiro, Meira Kuman and Sachin Rao in discussion.

Here is the complete division:

Notably, all three Gandhis - Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra are in different groups and none of them are the group leader.

READ | Next Congress chief: All eyes on CWC meet, Rahul Gandhi says 'happy that Cong is under pressure' & makes tiger analogy

Sources have told Republic that the divide within the Congress over who should replace Rahul Gandhi after the party's shellacking in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls is still very far from being resolved, as the old guard within the Congress allegedly wanting either Mallikarjun Kharge or Mukul Wasnik to be the next chief, while the young guard wants either Sachin Pilot or Jyotiraditya Scindia.

The acrimony within the Congress has come to the fore in recent weeks, with the party clearly being divided over the events relating to Jammu and Kashmir where Article 370 has been abrogated. While Rahul Gandhi was against the move and attacked the Modi government, Jyotiraditya Scindia put out a diametrically opposite statement. Here are both:

 Congress leaders impatient for new chief

Meanwhile, Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said any further delay in the selection of the new party chief was not an option.

"On Saturday, a consensus builder party President of Congress must be selected. Slightest delay is not an option," he wrote on Twitter.

"In lighter vein, I gave analogy of wise men of Vatican locked in a room indefinitely until they got a nomination! Subsequently, it has to be followed by full intra party elections," Singhvi added.

A number of partymen have expressed their opinion in public, saying the delay in selecting the new Congress chief is harming the party.

Some Congressmen also made a call for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to take over from her brother Rahul Gandhi, who quit as the party chief on May 25 post the Congress's poor show in the Lok Sabha polls.