Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said that the Congress Working Committee (CWC) in Hyderabad will deliberate on upcoming Assembly elections in five states.

He also condoled the death of the Army officers and personnel in the Jammu and Kashmir encounter.

While leaving for Hyderabad for the meeting of the party’s highest decision-making body meeting, Kharge told the media here, “This happens to be the first CWC meeting after I took charge as the party president.”

He said that there is an extended meeting of the CWC on Sunday, where discussions related to the party will be done.

“Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra besides all senior leaders will attend the meeting which will focus on the upcoming elections in five states,” he said.

“Discussions on the alliance (INDIA) will be done in the next meeting with our partners,” Kharge said.

While replying to a question on Anantnag encounter, the Congress president said, “I pay tribute to the soldiers who laid down their lives in the service of the nation and express my condolences to their families. We stand with them.”

The CWC meeting is scheduled from Saturday in Telangana’s Hyderabad to finalise the strategy for the upcoming Assembly elections in five states –Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram scheduled
later this year.

The three-day’s crucial meeting in Hyderabad is aimed at boosting the party’s campaign in the poll-bound Telangana, officials said.

The Congress president will chair the CWC meeting.

On Friday, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said he is confident that the Congress would form a government in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram that go to polls later this year.

There could also be a discussion on holding ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra 2’.

On Monday, the grand-old party will hold a mega rally in Hyderabad. “We will announce six guarantees for the people of Telangana. We hope that when the elections come, the party will get a clear mandate from the people,” Congress general secretary communication incharge Jairam Ramesh said.

The Congress reconstituted the Congress Working Committee, and made some surprise additions last month.

The committee was formed 10 months after Mallikarjun Kharge became the party chief. It has 39 regular members, 32 permanent invitees and 13 special invitees.