CWC authorises Sonia to select Presidential nominee

New Delhi, Jun 4 (UNI) The Congress Party today authorised its President Sonia Gandhi to take appropriate decision on the party's choice of candidates for the forthcoming elections to the posts of President and Vice-President.

A meeting of the Congress Working Committee(CWC), the highest policy making body of the century-old party, discussed the Presidential election, but refrained from broaching specific names, AICC general Secretary Janardhan Dwivedi told mediapersons.

Attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and 24 CWC members, the 90-minute-long meeting at the official 10 Janpath residence of Ms Gandhi entrusted her the task of selecting a nominee of the party for the post of President, which falls vacant in July, and if necessary, another candidate for the post of Vice-President, which will be vacant two months later.

Asked if the Congress would field candidates for both the President and Vice-President posts, Mr Dwivedi indicated that the party would have a candidate for the President's post.

"There is no talk of election to the post of Vice-President for the present. If the Congress decides to put up its candidate for the Vice-President post also, it will be for the party President to decide on the nominee," he added.

Asked if the Congress was not in favour of a consensus on Presidential nominee as mooted by former Prime Minister and Opposition NDA Chairman A B Vajpayee, Mr Dwivedi said,"the ruling UPA coalition has its own views just as the NDA has." More UNI