Ghulam Nabi Azad writes to Sonia Gandhi, seeks CWC meeting following crisis in Punjab Congress

New Delhi, Sep 29: After Kapil Sibal openly asked uncomfortable questions to Congress leadership on Wednesday, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has written a letter to party president Sonia Gandhi asking her to convene an immediate meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC).

Azad, who had demanded an organisational overhaul in the past, has sought internal discussions following the crisis in Punjab Congress demanded that the party convenes an immediate CWC meeting, the highest decision-making body of the party, say sources.

The former Rajya Sabha member, who is leading the 'Group of 23' leaders, has expressed his surprise over the decisions being taken by the party in the absence of a full-time president.

Their demand comes in the wake of turmoil in Punjab Congress after Amarinder Singh was forced to resign from the post of Chief Minister, former Goa chief minister Luizinho Faleiro and leaders like Sushmita Dev and Abhijeet Mukherjee left the party, and senior Kerala Congress leader V M Sudheeran resigned from the AICC.

Azad, along with 22 other leaders, had last year written to Congress president demanding a slew of organisational reforms and elections to all party posts, last year.

A meeting was held later wherein it was decided that the party will hold elections for the new Congress president by June, but it could not happen due to the pandemic. The rebels are pressing for the reforms in the party in order to strengthen the organisation to take on the BJP and Narendra Modi.

On his turn, Kapil Sibal, speaking at a press conference, said that they are not "Jee Huzoor 23" and they will continue to raise questions. Stating that the Congress alone can save the country, the 73-year-old politician said, "Every Congressman of the country should think as to how the party can be strengthened. Those who have left should come back because Congress alone can save this republic."