A number of important decisions were taken at the Congress executive meeting in Delhi today. The meeting, chaired by Sonia Gandhi, also announced the election date for the Congress presidency. Sources said that the Congress presidential election will be held in September next year.
After Rahul Gandhi stepped down as Congress president, Sonia Gandhi is taking over as interim president. However, some leaders are demanding that the party get a full-time president. Also, since the party does not have a president, there is no way to know who is taking the decision, a few days back, G-23 leader Kapil Sibal had said. After that, in today's meeting of the executive committee, a big announcement has been made about the election of the chairman. Accordingly, the Congress president will be elected in September next year.
Meanwhile, in the meeting of the executive committee, Sonia Gandhi has given a clear and suggestive message to the G-23 leaders of the party. "I am, if you will allow me to say so, a full-time and hands-on Congress President. In the last two years, a large number of our colleagues, particularly the younger ones have taken on leadership roles in taking party policies and programmes to the people--whether it be the agitation of farmers, provision of relief during the pandemic, highlighting issues of concern to youth and women, atrocities on Dalits, Adivasis and minorities, price rise, and the destruction of the public sector," she said.
In a veiled dig at the party's internal critics, especially G-23, Gandhi said she had always appreciated frankness, and added, "There is no need to speak to me through the media. So let us all have a free and honest discussion. But what should get communicated outside the four walls of this room is the collective decision of the CWC."