Cwc Refutes Pawar Statement

The Congress yesterday maintained that only the Congress Working Committee was empowered to take the important decision of who should be the next Congress Prime Minister in case the BJP government falls.

By clarifying the stand, the party virtually contradicted its senior leader Sharad Pawar who only a day earlier said that Congress President Sonia Gandhi could become the Prime Minister only in the event of the Congress getting an absolute majority. Otherwise, he said, the allies would have a say in electing the next Prime Minister.

Party spokesman Ajit Jogi refused to confront the direct issue of whether Pawar was reflecting the party view, but made it abundantly clear that he was not. "Sonia Gandhi is the party president. She is the chairperson of the Congress in Parliament," he said thereby indicating her absolute authority over Pawar who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

He said the Working Committee was the highest decision making body of the party and was the competent forum to decide all issues relating to government formation. Jogi's statement is significant as it also suggests that the right forum to decide who should be the next Congress Prime Minister would be the CWC and not the CPP.