CWC to discuss strategy for Parliament's winter session, polls

The Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party's apex decision-making body, will meet on November 7 and is expected to discuss organisational polls and strategy for the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament.

The meeting would take place amid suggestions by many party workers that Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi should be elevated as party chief.

"The CWC meeting will discuss current national issues," a party leader said. Issues like implementation of the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme, Bhopal jail-break incident, price rise are expected to be discussed in the meeting.

The meeting has been called a week before the start of Winter session of Parliament. The CWC meeting is also expected to discuss party's preparations for the upcoming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur.

There have been repeated suggestions that Rahul Gandhi should take over reins of the party from his mother and Congress President Sonia Gandhi, and party leaders said the CWC may take a call on the issue.

Rahul has been quite active with the election campaign in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the assembly elections, participating in Kisan Yatra and Khat Sabhas.

"This is the right time for him to take over as party chief," said a party leader.

However, there has also been a view in the party that Sonia Gandhi should continue at the helm as the party was facing major electoral challenges.

Sonia Gandhi became party chief in 1998 and is the longest-serving president of the party. She was re-elected party chief in 2010 for a five year term. With her term ending last year, the party had written to the Election Commission seeking time to hold organisational elections by the end of this year.

Another party leader said the party is expected to seek another year to hold organisational polls.

--IANS

sid/rn