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All eyes on CWC meet: Sources claim Congress may not pick its chief today

Instead, it may decide on the modalities for the selection of a new president and appoint a committee with senior leaders for this purpose.

Hyderabad: Telangana Congress leaders are anxiously waiting for the crucial Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting scheduled on Saturday in Delhi, which is expected to discuss the issue of the new party president.

State Congress president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, working president Ponnam Prabhakar and senior leaders left for Delhi on Friday. After Mr Rahul Gandhi resigned as Congress president, the CWC is meeting for the first time to discuss the issue of his successor.

Amid speculations that a close associate of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former Union minister Mukul Wasnik, will be named as Congress chief, AICC sources said the CWC may not take a decision on Saturday.

Instead, it may decide on the modalities for the selection of a new president and appoint a committee with senior leaders for this purpose.

Meanwhile, senior leaders like Mr A.K. Ant-ony and K.C. Venugopal and others met Mrs Gan-dhi and discussed the appointment of a new president. Several senior leaders are bringing pressure on the high command, saying that delaying the appointment of a new chief is not good.

Congress senior leader Abhishek Singhvi said on Friday that the new party president will be elected without delay. He said, “On Saturday we will elect a new president. Internal discussions will continue till the nominations come for a new president. Once the nominations are finalised we will elect a new president.”
There are speculations that the CWC meeting may elect a temporary chief and a panel will be set up for the selection of a new president.

The other names doing the rounds are of Karnataka’s Mallikarjun Kharge, former home minister Sushilkumar Shinde and AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal.

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