Rahul, Sonia Gandhi leave CWC meet, say won't participate in picking new Congress chief

New Delhi, Aug 10: Even as the Congress Working Committee began consultations on Saturday to pick its next president, 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.

Rahul Gandhi left soon after, saying he will be visiting his parliamentary constituency Wayanad in Kerala, which is currently ravaged by heavy rains.

The CWC has decided to have consultations with leaders from across the country and the party's top decision-making body then was divided into five groups for different regions -- northeast, east, north, west and south.

Rahul and Sonia's names were included in the East and West regions, respectively. However, the duo left the meeting midway around 1 pm. According to news agency PTI, Sonia said she was included in the committees by default.

Rahul Gandhi, while resigning as the party president on May 25, had asked the CWC to elect a president from outside his family.

Gandhi's sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who entered active police politics in February, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, is however, attending the session.