Ahmed Patel, Antony, Surjewala, Wasnik in six-member special committee to assist Sonia
Sep 11, 2020
New Delhi [India], September 11 : In a significant decision, the Congress on Friday constituted a committee comprising six leaders including AK Antony, Ahmed Patel and Mukul Wasnik to "assist the Congress President in "organisational and operational matters".
The decision, conveyed alongside a reshuffle of AICC office-bearers, came almost a fortnight after the stormy meeting of Congress Working Committee (CWC) in which the party had urged Sonia Gandhi to continue as party chief "until such time as circumstances will permit an AICC session to be convened".
The six-member committee will continue to function till the next AICC session.
The CWC meeting saw a debate on the letter written by 23 leaders which had demanded organisational overhaul, "fulltime and effective leadership" which is both "visible" and "active in the field," collective leadership to guide the revival of the party and elections to the CWC.
The letter writers had come under attack from a section of the party.
Of the 23 leaders who wrote the letter, only Wasnik has been included in the special committee.
Its other members include Ambika Soni, KC Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala.
Apart from Surjewala, all members of the panel are party veterans and have closely worked with Sonia Gandhi in her long innings earlier as Congress President.
The Congress has been battling crisis and has lost its governments in Madhya Pradesh and Karanataka to BJP.
The special committee is expected to help the party chief take measures to strengthen the party at grassroots apart and facing the coming electoral challenges.
Gandhi, who helmed the party for nearly 19 years as party chief, agreed to become interim president last year after Rahul Gandhi resigned in the wake of party's debacle in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
