Sonia Gandhi's letter asking to be relieved as Congress president was read out at the start of a crucial meeting of the party's Working Committee a day after a letter written by 23 top leaders calling for "a full-time, visible leadership" emerged. KC Venugopal began the meet saying it was called to "discuss urgent matters" and read out Sonia Gandhi's letter asking that the party to start the process of looking for her replacement. The letter, demanding "collective decision-making", called into question the leadership of the Gandhis, who have led the Congress for much of its 134-year history.