Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said in New Delhi on Friday that the party could not afford any more delay in choosing a new president, a day before a key meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC).

Singhvi’s call

Writing on Twitter, Singhvi said a president who could build consensus had to be selected on Saturday. “Slightest delay is not an option,” he wrote.

He added a light-hearted comparison with the cardinals of the Vatican, who are kept in a room until they agree on a choice, and said such a selection should later be followed by full internal party elections.

The meeting

The CWC was expected to pick a provisional chief to take over from Rahul Gandhi, who had stood by his decision to step down after the party’s Lok Sabha defeat. The committee could also set up a panel of senior members to search for a permanent president.

Several party members had said publicly that the drawn-out wait for a new leader was hurting the Congress. Some had also urged that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra take over from her brother.

What happened next

Sonia Gandhi became interim Congress president in August 2019. Mallikarjun Kharge was later elected party president in October 2022.

See also: Indian National Congress and political leaders.

Originally published on 9 August 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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