Congress to pick its new chief on Saturday, high-level meeting underway

New Delhi : A high-level meeting will be conducted on Saturday to pick new Congress chief, two months after Rahul Gandhi announced his retirement from the post, owning responsibility of the Lok Sabha Election debacle in 2019.

Mukul Wasnik is the front-runner for the prime post of the party.

On Friday, Rahul Gandhi met with the Congress leaders and said that the new chief must be picked up after more consultation with the state leaders and legislative party. With this the state leaders and party legislators will be taking part in the meeting on Saturday.

"I am happy that the Congress is under pressure and this will jolt the Congress into action," Mr Gandhi is learnt to have told the party leaders, according to news agency PTI.

For the first time in two decades, a non-Gandhi will be chosen as the Congress chief. Mukul Wasnik, a former minister with much administrative experience, is expected to take charge at least till the organisational election.

The Congress Working Committee will formally thank Rahul Gandhi, 49, for his role as president, the sources said, indicating that the party had officially given up attempts to persuade the him to withdraw his resignation.