CWC to meet again, Sonia, Rahul opt out of selection process

New Delhi, Aug 10 (IANS) The crucial Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting to choose a new party chief ended on Saturday afternoon, with another meeting scheduled for the evening. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have opted out of the process of choosing a name.

Emerging from the meeting, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi told reporters she and Rahul Gandhi are not a part of the five regionwise groups formed in the CWC to elect the new party chief.

Informed by the media that her name was there in the five region-wise groups formed to hold consultations, she said: "Rahul and I cannot participate in the election of the new party chief. Putting our names is not good."

Rahul Gandhi told reporters: "I am going to Wayanad tomorrow for two days as the condition is very disturbing there."

The CWC, the party's top decision making body, met to elect a new party chief after Rahul Gandhi quit the post following the party's miserable showing in the Lok Sabha elections.

The CWC has been divided into five region-wise groups to hold further talks with the state in-charges, state party chiefs, AICC department chairman, party MPs and CLPs to build a consensus on the name of the new party chief.

Besides Rahul and Sonia, the meeting of the CWC was attended by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, senior party leaders like Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Anand Sharma, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin Pilot, Ahmed Patel, P. Chidambaram and several others.

The CWC will meet again at 8.30 p.m. to get final recommendations from the five groups. The new Congress chief's name will be finalised on Sunday, said a senior party leader.