The Congress Working Committee (CWC) has been convened to meet here on 16 October to deliberate on the current political situation, including recent events at Lakhimpur Kheri, and decide on the party’s organisational elections.
Several senior party leaders had demanded the CWC meeting because of serious internal differences in the party’s Punjab unit, leading to the replacement of the party Chief Minister.
There have been defections of party leaders occupying key positions. The party leaders wanted a discussion on the political developments also.
Former Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad had written to the Congress president to convene a meeting of the CWC soon.
In a tweet, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said today “A meeting of the Congress Working Committee will be held on Saturday, the 16th October 2021 at 10 am at AICC Office, 24, Akbar Road, New Delhi to discuss current political situation, forthcoming assembly elections and organisational elections.”
The party leadership is also likely to decide on the schedule for electing the new Congress chief.
The CWC in its meeting in January decided that the Congress would have an elected president by June, 2021, but the same was deferred at the May CWC meet in the wake of the Covid-19 situation.
The coming meeting is being held in the wake of Lakhimpur clashes on 3rd October in which eight people lost their lives, including four farmers who were allegedly run over by an SUV. The incident has brought the Opposition together, giving an opportunity to Congress to corner the BJP government.
The CWC meeting will also discuss certain dissenting notes within the party over the spate of defections and the party’s electoral performance.
There have been demands from a section of Congress leaders for having a full-time and active party president, as well as, an organisational overhaul. A group of 23 leaders has questioned the manner of decision-making in the party.