CWC huddle on Sept 8; Bihar polls, Lalitgate, Vyapam on agenda

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 3

Amid speculation over the elevation of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) will meet here on September 8 to review the prevailing political situation in the country and the performance of the NDA government.

Sources in the Congress today said the CWC would meet to discuss the political situation in the light of the performance of the Modi government and its responses to the recent scandals involving former IPL chief Lalit Modi and the Vyapam scam. The party will also thrash out its future strategy on these scams.

Party leaders said the forthcoming Bihar election would also be taken up given its political significance for the JD-U-led grand alliance on the one hand and the BJP on the other. The Congress is part of the grand alliance.

Asked if Rahul Gandhi’s elevation was likely to figure in the CWC meet, sources said a decision on this issue has to be taken between party president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul. A section of party leadership didn’t rule out the possibility of the CWC passing a resolution to elevate Rahul as the Congress president, with Sonia moving into a mentoring role.

A source, when asked if the pre-Bihar election period would be ripe for Rahul Gandhi to take the charge, said, “Why not? But it is really up to the leadership to decide the timing.”

A senior party leader said the CWC could pass a resolution asking Rahul to take over, as has happened in case of some other presidents in the past. “There are many routes for the party president to be installed. A CWC resolution and a later ratification of the same at the AICC session is one of them and is viable,” the leader said adding that the election route was another possibility.

The Congress organisational elections due this year have been delayed due to several counts, primarily due to loopholes in the Congress membership drive structures. Recently, Rahul Gandhi has been trying to ensure genuine memberships in the party, something that's taking time. The CWC to be chaired by Sonia will discuss pending organisational elections and membership drive, said sources, not ruling out Rahul’s elevation discussions.