Congress on Friday said that the party will have an elected president by June this year. Addressing a press conference after a meeting of Congress Working Committee, party general secretary KC Venugopal said the Central Election Authority of the party has given the schedule for organisational elections in May but members suggested in the meeting that the elections should be held in a manner that it does not clash with the assembly elections in four states and a union territory to be held in April-May.
He said the little change of schedule depending on the state elections will be decided soon.
"The working committee discussed about the organisational elections. The Central Election Authority of INC has already given the schedule of conducting elections in May but all the CWC members unanimously requested the Congress president on the aspects of the state assembly elections. It should not interfere with the election prospects of the Congress," Venugopal said.
He said the members suggested some adjustment in the schedule of organisational elections. "Congress Working Committee has decided that there will be an elected Congress President by June 2021 at any cost," he said.
"We will conduct elections as per the Constitution of the party. We need a change of schedule due to assembly polls as counting would be underway in May," he said.
Asked about any dissenting notes on the holding of elections, Surjewala said, "There was no dissent at the meeting."
Sonia Gandhi has been serving as interim president of the party. The party had urged her to take the post at CWC meeting after months of uncertainty following resignation of Rahul Gandhi from the post over the party's debacle in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
There have been demands from a section of the Congress leaders for having a full-time and active party president and an organisational overhaul.
The party's top leadership also discussed the current political situation in the wake of the farmers' agitation and the party's strategy ahead of the Budget Session of Parliament on various issues, including the leaked WhatsApp chats of Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami.
The CWC on Friday adopted resolutions including on support to farmers protesting against three new farm laws, COVID-19 vaccination and sought JPC investigation into "revelations endangering national security".
The meeting was attended by CWC members including Rahul Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
(With agency inputs)
