Next Congress chief: Rahul Gandhi to be part of CWC meet after Parliament session to decide his successor

Fixing a tentative timeframe to decide on its leadership turmoil, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) will meet after the current session of Parliament, the party said on Thursday as speculation deepens about who will take Rahul Gandhi's place as president. Gandhi was very much a part of the meeting and would attend, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said. 

"The CWC will meet after the current session of Parliament, but a date for the same has not been finalized yet," he said.

Congress meeting of general secretaries and state heads

Surjewala was speaking to reporters after a meeting of Congress general secretaries and leaders in-charge of various states. The meeting discussed preparations for the 75th birth anniversary celebrations of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi later this month. Congress plans to hold a big political event to commemorate the event. 

Sources had earlier reported that this meeting's agenda is aimed at deciding the next course of action for the party president post and to discuss the situation on the ground level. Contrary to he latest development, Rahul Gandhi has adamantly stuck to his notion that he will not choose the next chief.

Lack Of Clarity At Top Hurting Congress; Polls To Key Posts, CWC Will Legitimise Leadership: Shashi Tharoor

Priyanka - next Congress president?

Sources had reported earlier that names of the probable candidates to take up the post of interim-president will be shortly submitted to Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal adding that the Congress Working Committee meet to decide the next Congress president will take place only after the resolution of the Karnataka crisis.

Meanwhile, amid growing demands for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to take over her brother's place at the party helm, former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh and senior party leader Sriprakash Jaiswal has said that while Rahul Gandhi had said that 'no one from the Gandhi family will be party president', the decision is upto Priyanka herself.

Omar Abdullah Asks 'Who Is Congress President? Is It Still Rahul Gandhi?' After Purported 'Cong Chief' Makes Mumbai Appointment

Next Congress president saga

Meanwhile, the dilemma within Congress continues over the appointment of a new party chief following the dramatic resignation of Rahul Gandhi from the post. While Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh called for a young leader, some of the old guard comprising of P Chidambaram, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ashok Gehlot have been skeptical to choose a young leader preferring a 'Gandhi loyalist' to take over as the party president. Tharoor, on the other hand, sided with Singh calling for a young leader to take the helm.

Following this call by Singh, General Secretary Jyotiraditya Scindia and Congress Mumbai chief Milind Deora issued their resignations, stirring speculations over their entry in the race for the top post of the president of the Congress party. 48-year-old Jyotiraditya Scindia and 41-year-old Sachin Pilot are the front runners for the post, as per sources.

(With PTI Inputs)