New Delhi, Aug 11: Sonia Gandhi was named interim Congress president on Saturday, returning at the helm after almost 20 months. The announcement was made on Saturday night after Congress Working Committee (CWC) accepted Rahul Gandhi's resignation during its second meeting of the day. A number of leaders, including state chiefs and MPs, backed Rahul Gandhi to continue on the post despite his refusal to reconsider his resignation. However, he did not budge from his stand of quitting as party chief. The CWC then decided to name Sonia Gandhi as the interim party chief.
File photo of Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi
Here are the highlights of CWC meet and what transpiredthe entire day to pick New Congress Chief
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12:47 AM, 11 Aug
“The CWC considered the views of PCC presidents, CLP leaders, AICC secretaries and members of parliament. The CWC unanimously resolved that Shri Rahul Gandhi should continue as Congress president, as desired by all who were consulted today, and requested him to accept this decision. However, he declined to withdraw his resignation,” the party said in a statement later.
“Consequently, the CWC unanimously resolved to request Sonia Gandhi to take over as interim president pending the election of a regular president by the AICC," it added.
12:47 AM, 11 Aug
Congress leader KC Venugopal at the press briefing said the CWC had passed three resolutions at the meeting.
12:46 AM, 11 Aug
Senior leader PL Punia said the party would decide on a new chief after internal elections. "We have decided to have Sonia Gandhi as the interim president of the party,” he said. “We will have a full-time president after our internal elections."
12:45 AM, 11 Aug
“Sonia Gandhi has the experience and from time to time, we have turned towards her for guidance, so it was only appropriate that she takes over,” said Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala at a press conference after the meeting ended.
12:45 AM, 11 Aug
We asked Sonia Gandhi to take over as Interim President till the CWC conducts the elections for Permanent President, says KC Venigopal.
12:43 AM, 11 Aug
Congress Working Committee unanimously resolved that Rahul Gandhi should continue as Congress president and requested him to accept this decision, however, he declined to withdraw his resignation, says Venugopal.
12:43 AM, 11 Aug
Congress Working Committee (CWC) unanimously resolved to request Sonia Gandhi to take over as the Interim President, pending the election of a regular president by the AICC, says KC Venugopal in a briefing after CWC meeting.
10:58 PM, 10 Aug
It is yet to be made clear if she would be official next president or the interim presiden. But, Ghula Nabi Azad confirmed that "Sonia Gandhi is the new Congress president."
10:55 PM, 10 Aug
Sonia Gandhi is the new Congress chief, says Ghulam Nabi Azad.
10:53 PM, 10 Aug
CWC meeting ends. Decision on next Congress president is yet to be announced.
10:53 PM, 10 Aug
Their (Congress Working Committee) discussion is still going on. I was especially called because a discussion was happening on Jammu and Kashmir, says Rahul Gandhi.
10:44 PM, 10 Aug
Sonia Gandhi was asked to be the interim president but she turns down the request. CWC is yet to make up it mind.
10:28 PM, 10 Aug
We came to know about problems and Kashmir. Then we stopped the meeting and discussed Kashmir problems. We demand that the Prime Minister make it clear what is going on in Kashmir, says Rahul Gandhi. He said he was called to join discussion on Kashmir issue.
10:04 PM, 10 Aug
Veteran leader Mukul Wasnik and former Congress leader in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, have emerged as the frontrunners for the post, reports News 18.
9:54 PM, 10 Aug
The party's top decision-making body will discuss reports of five groups, formed earlier in the day, to scrutinise names of potential successor to Rahul Gandhi. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi recused themselves from the consultation process saying they they cannot be part of it as they have been Congress presidents in the past and would not like the opinion of the party leaders to be influenced in any manner.
9:39 PM, 10 Aug
Rahul Gandhi arrives for Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting underway at All India Congress Committee (AICC) office.
9:27 PM, 10 Aug
PTI reports: At the crucial meeting, the report of five regional groups formed for wider consultation on the issue will be placed, with sources saying there was a consensus on Rahul Gandhi continuing as party chief. However, Gandhi had in the morning asserted that he would not take back his resignation, after CWC members unanimously urged him to reconsider. As the CWC members met at around 9 pm at the AICC headquarters here, Rahul Gandhi did not initially join the leaders, but sources said he was expected to attend the meeting later.
9:18 PM, 10 Aug
Rahul Gandhi, while resigning as the party president on May 25, had asked the CWC to elect a president from outside his family.
9:17 PM, 10 Aug
Earlier today, UPA chief Sonia Gandhi and outgoing party head Rahul Gandhi refused to part of the consultation. "We cannot be part of this process," Sonia Gandhi said after she recused herself from the deliberations.
9:17 PM, 10 Aug
Doubts still hang whether Rahul Gandhi's resignation would be accepted.
9:16 PM, 10 Aug
Milind Deora's name also reportedly doing rounds.
9:13 PM, 10 Aug
Sonia Gandhi is present at the meeting.
9:11 PM, 10 Aug
Rahul Gandhi not part of the meeting as he had earlier said that he cannot be part of the process of new president selection.
9:10 PM, 10 Aug
Priyanka Gandhi's name also being reportedly discussed.
9:01 PM, 10 Aug
india today reports that Sachin Pilot and Jyotiraditya Scindia's name are also being considered.
8:49 PM, 10 Aug
The northern region group included Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jyotiraditya Scindia and P Chidambaram. The western region group was has leaders such as Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge, A K Antony and Motilal Vora. The group for the southern region included Manmohan Singh, Anand Sharma and Mukul Wasnik.
8:48 PM, 10 Aug
The CWC group for the northeast region included top party leaders such as Ahmed Patel, Ambika Soni and former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat. The group for eastern region included AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal, ex-Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi and former Union minister Kumari Selja.
8:48 PM, 10 Aug
The CWC decided to have consultations with leaders from across the country and it was divided into five groups for different regions -- northeast, east, north, west and south.
8:46 PM, 10 Aug
"There is process of consultation and naturally Rahul ji and myself, we cannot be part of that consultation," Sonia Gandhi told reporters earlier today.
8:46 PM, 10 Aug
Earlier today, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday refused to participate in the consultation to pick next party chief.
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11:40 AM, 10 Aug
On Friday, senior Congress leaders met Sonia Gandhi at her residence in New Delhi, ahead of Saturday's crucial CWC meeting to decide on the new party chief.
11:40 AM, 10 Aug
Rahul Gandhi has told the leaders that he was happy to note that the party was under pressure to select its new chief and drew an analogy with a tiger, which maintained its ferocity under pressure.
11:41 AM, 10 Aug
"I am happy that the Congress is under pressure and this will jolt the Congress into action," Rahul Gandhi is learnt to have told the party leaders.
11:41 AM, 10 Aug
The top Congress leadership held a meeting with its state unit chiefs and leaders of its state legislature parties, along with its general secretaries and in-charges, where they were told by Rahul Gandhi that there was nothing to worry as regards the selection of the new party chief, who would be appointed within the next few days after wider consultations.
11:43 AM, 10 Aug
The CWC will shortly meet first, then will be divided into five groups, and discussions on next party chief will be held with state unit leaders according to regions.
11:57 AM, 10 Aug
Reportedly, The Congress Working Committee will formally thank Rahul Gandhi, for his role as president.
11:58 AM, 10 Aug
Party leader Abhishek Singhvi said on Friday that any further delay in the selection of the new chief is not an option.
11:59 AM, 10 Aug
"On Saturday, a consensus builder party President of Congress must be selected. Slightest delay is not an option," Singhvi said on Twitter.
11:59 AM, 10 Aug
The CWC meet is underway to select a provisional chief to replace Rahul Gandhi, who is firm on his decision to quit.
12:48 PM, 10 Aug
Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will not be a part of the consultation process to decide next party chief.
12:48 PM, 10 Aug
Sonia Gandhi on leaving from Congress Working Committee meeting: Now consultation(to decide next party chief) is going on and naturally me and Rahul ji cannot be a part of it.
2:19 PM, 10 Aug
Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary after Congress Working Committee(CWC) meeting ends: We will meet again at 8.30 pm, it(name of new party chief) is expected to be finalized by 9 pm today itself.
2:22 PM, 10 Aug
"Rahul's resignation as Congress chief still under consideration, CWC to take a decision in the evening," says "Rahul's resignation as Congress chief still under consideration, CWC to take a decision in the evening," Surjewala in a press briefing.
3:42 PM, 10 Aug
"The CWC will meet again this evening to take a call on the reports of CWC sub-groups. There was a sense that the situation of impasse on Congress leadership should be resolved as soon as possible. Therefore it was felt that the CWC should meet again this evening and take a call on the issue," Surjewala said.
3:43 PM, 10 Aug
Meanwhile, Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, Shashi Tharoor, tweeted, "My position remains what I first articulated more than a month ago: CWC should choose an Interim President asap, then resign and announce open elections for both President and CWC."
3:43 PM, 10 Aug
He added, "The final choice should reflect the wishes of the party workers and should be a person, irrespective of age or gender, who can both energize the party organization and inspire the voters -- especially those who did not support us in 2014 and 2019. We just cannot afford "business as usual"."
4:36 PM, 10 Aug
Reports say that CWC requested Rahul Gandhi to continue as the Congress president "given the circumstances", before he walked out of the meeting.
8:32 PM, 10 Aug
#Delhi: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh & Congress leaders AK Antony, Mallikarjun Kharge and Jyotiraditya Scindia arrive at All India Congress Committee (AICC) office for Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting. pic.twitter.com/0SZn3QlXi1
Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra arrive for CWC meeting.
8:33 PM, 10 Aug
Earlier today, the CWC decided to have consultations with leaders from across the country and it was divided into five groups for different regions - northeast, east, north, west and south – after Rahul Gandhi called for wider consultations.
8:34 PM, 10 Aug
Reports say the five groups will place their final report before the CWC which is underway now.
8:46 PM, 10 Aug
Earlier today, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday refused to participate in the consultation to pick next party chief.
8:46 PM, 10 Aug
"There is process of consultation and naturally Rahul ji and myself, we cannot be part of that consultation," Sonia Gandhi told reporters earlier today.
8:48 PM, 10 Aug
The CWC decided to have consultations with leaders from across the country and it was divided into five groups for different regions -- northeast, east, north, west and south.
8:48 PM, 10 Aug
The CWC group for the northeast region included top party leaders such as Ahmed Patel, Ambika Soni and former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat. The group for eastern region included AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal, ex-Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi and former Union minister Kumari Selja.
8:49 PM, 10 Aug
The northern region group included Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jyotiraditya Scindia and P Chidambaram. The western region group was has leaders such as Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge, A K Antony and Motilal Vora. The group for the southern region included Manmohan Singh, Anand Sharma and Mukul Wasnik.
9:01 PM, 10 Aug
india today reports that Sachin Pilot and Jyotiraditya Scindia's name are also being considered.
9:10 PM, 10 Aug
Priyanka Gandhi's name also being reportedly discussed.
9:11 PM, 10 Aug
Rahul Gandhi not part of the meeting as he had earlier said that he cannot be part of the process of new president selection.
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