Rahul Gandhi quit as Congress chief in May, owning responsibility for party's national election debacle.
Sonia Gandhi has become the interim Congress president, the party's top decision-making body, the Congress Working Committee, decided today after a meeting to choose her son Rahul Gandhi's successor. The decision signalled a failure of the party to pick a chief outside the Gandhi family that has led it for most of its 130-year-old history.
Earlier, veteran leader Mukul Wasnik had emerged as the frontrunner for the post left vacant after Rahul Gandhi quit in May, owning responsibility for the party's national election debacle.
In its 134-year history, India's oldest political party has mostly had a member of the Nehru-Gandhi family in charge.
Sources said the sub-committees wanted Rahul Gandhi to continue as the party chief.
Earlier today, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi refused to take part in the selection process, saying they did not want to complicate the issue or "play favourites". "It is a mistake that our names were added to the (zonal) groups," Sonia Gandhi told reporters.
Here are the Live Updates on Congress Working Committee (CWC) Meeting:
Sonia Gandhi will be the interim Congress president, says spokesman Randeep Surjewala.
Sonia Gandhi will be the interim Congress president, says spokesman Randeep Surjewala. A new president will be chosen later until which time Sonia Gandhi will continue as the party president.
"This is the best that could be done under the circumstances": Congress leader Kumari Selja
"This is the best that could be done under the circumstances and under the party's constitution," Congress leader Kumari Selja told NDTV.
BREAKING: Sonia Gandhi is the new Congress president, says Ghulam Nabi Azad
Sonia Gandhi is the new Congress president, says Ghulam Nabi Azad
READ HERE: Congress Top Body Meeting To Pick Chief Paused Over Kashmir: 10 PointsThe Congress's top decision-making body, the Working Committee - the party's top decision-making body - is meeting for a second time today to take a call on who would succeed Rahul Gandhi as the party chief. Rahul Gandhi, who arrived late in the evening, told journalists that he had come to attend an urgent presentation on Jammu and Kashmir, where there were reports of violence, he said. However, the meeting to pick the next chief will go on to take a final decision on basis of the suggestions forwarded by state leaders and the leaders representing five zonal units after their day-long discussion. This morning, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had excused themselves from the zonal body meetings, saying they cannot be part of the selection process. Rahul Gandhi had announced his decision to quit the party's top post in May after its disastrous performance in the Lok Sabha election.
BREAKING: Rahul Gandhi says the meeting to decide on a new Congress president was suspended over the situation in Jammu and Kashmir
Rahul Gandhi says the meeting to decide on a new Congress president was suspended over the situation in Jammu and Kashmir
BREAKING: Rahul Gandhi addresses the media
Rahul Gandhi addresses the media
Rahul Gandhi reaches venue where the Congress's top decision-making body, the Congress Working Committee is holding a meeting.
READ HERE: CWC Meets To Pick Chief, Sonia Gandhi Present: 10 PointsThe Congress's top decision-making body, the Working Committee - the party's top decision-making body - is meeting for a second time today to take a call on who would succeed Rahul Gandhi as the party chief. Sonia Gandhi is present for the meeting, which will take a final decision on basis of the suggestions forwarded by state leaders and the leaders representing five zonal units after their day-long discussion. This morning, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had excused themselves from the zonal boduy meetings, saying they cannot be part of the selection process. Rahul Gandhi had announced his decision to quit the party's top post in May after its disastrous performance in the Lok Sabha election.
READ HERE: CWC Meeting New Congress Chief By 9 pm, Five Groups Hold Marathon Talks: 10 PointsThe Congress's top decision-making body, the Working Committee, met to select a leader today, giving up hopes of Rahul Gandhi rolling back his decision to quit the party's top job. A final decision will be taken by 9 this evening after consultation with state leaders and the leaders representing five zonal units, formed by the suggestion of Rahul Gandhi. After an initial appearance at the meeting, the 49-year-old and mother Sonia Gandhi excused themselves from the day's session, saying they cannot be part of the selection process. Rahul Gandhi had quit two months ago after the party's disastrous performance in the Lok Sabha election.
"I am happy that there has been a process to consult leaders. CWC will take a call on who the next leader will be. Don't want to go by names and will wait and see what the CWC decides," Rajasthan Congress leader Sachin Pilot said.
The Congress had been decimated in the Lok Sabha elections, winning only 52 seats - a marginal increase over its score of 44 in the 2014 election. Accentuating the defeat, Mr Gandhi's had lost his traditional family turf Amethi to the BJP's Smriti Irani.
Congress workers protest, demand Priyanka as Congress chief
Large number of Congress workers gathered outside the party headquarters in New Delhi and demanded Priyanka Gandhi Vadra be made the party president.
"Priyanka Gandhi should be made the party chief as she has the capability to keep the party together," a Congress worker was quoted as saying by news agency IANS.
Me and Rahul Gandhi will not be part of consultation process, says Sonia Gandhi
The Congress Working Committee meeting has ended. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, who were part of the meet, have left the Congress headquarters. The two leaders have said that they can't be part of consultation process to decide the Congress president.
"We (She and Rahul Gandhi) will not be a part of the consultation process (to decide next party chief) and that is why we are leaving," Sonia Gandhi was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Several Congress leaders, including Shashi Tharoor and Abhishek Singhvi, have warned that the delay in selecting the new Congress chief is harming the party.
Shashi Tharoor, who is lawmaker from Thiruvananthapuram, claimed that privately, many parliamentarians are "upset with the state of affairs" in the party.
"MPs are speaking out privately. It happens behind closed doors. A lot of people came to me and said they were 100 per cent behind what I said," Mr Tharoor told NDTV. "I am speaking out because I got tired of colleagues saying their views to me. Until someone bells the cat, we will continue doing this behind doors in hushed whispers... This is not the right way, we should engage and inspire the citizens of the country... The fact that we don't have an interim president discredits the party," he said.
Mr Singhvi and said any further delay in the selection of the new party chief was not an option. "On Saturday, a consensus builder party President of Congress must be selected. Slightest delay is not an option," he wrote on Twitter. "In a lighter vein, I gave the analogy of wise men of Vatican locked in a room indefinitely until they got a nomination! Subsequently, it has to be followed by full intra party elections," Mr Singhvi added.
The Congress Working Committee will formally thank Rahul Gandhi, 49, for his role as president, the sources said, indicating that the party had officially given up attempts to persuade the him to withdraw his resignation.
At a meeting of Congress leaders on Friday, Rahul Gandhi said a new Congress president should be chosen after more consultation with state leaders and the legislature party, sources said. In the meeting, it was decided that leaders of the Congress's state units and the legislature parties will be invited to take part in the meeting today to appoint a new party president.
The Congress Working Committee will divide itself into five groups and hold talks with state unit leaders to decide on the party president.
Rahul Gandhi arrives for top body meeting
Rahul Gandhi has arrived for the meeting. The CWC meeting is taking place over two months after Mr Gandhi quit as Congress president, owning responsibility for the party's national election debacle.
Senior leader AK Antony arrives for the CWC meet
Senior Congress leader AK Antony arrives for the meeting. Other leaders who have arrived at Congress headquarters are Mallikarjun Kharge, Motilal Vora, PL Punia, RPN Singh and Akhilesh Pratap Singh.
Today, the Congress Working Committee will meet first, following which the top body will divide itself into five groups and hold talks with state unit leaders to decide on the party president.
Mukul Wasnik among frontrunner, say sources
Veteran leader Mukul Wasnik has emerged as the frontrunner for the post. Mr Wasnik, 59, is expected to take charge at least till the organisational elections.
Mukul Wasnik, say sources, is seen as a strong choice to repair the Congress's organizational weaknesses with his long administrative record.
Mr Wasnik has worked in the Congress governments of PV Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh. He has also worked as general secretary for Sonia Gandhi.
The Congress's top decision-making is meeting at 11 am to choose a new party president. The meeting is being held over two months after Rahul Gandhi quit, owning responsibility for the party's national election debacle.