The Congress Working Committee (CWC) is expected to be announced by the end of this month, according to a source familiar with the matter. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge is said to be nearing the completion of the challenging task of finalizing the names for the committee. The official announcement will be made after seeking the opinions of senior leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, who are currently abroad, party sources revealed.
However, it is likely that veteran party leaders from Kerala, A K Antony and Oommen Chandy, will not be included in the new committee due to their poor health conditions. Both leaders have requested the High Command not to consider them again. Nevertheless, a decision on their inclusion as special invitees will be made in the coming days. Oommen Chandy will also step down from his role as the general secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh due to difficulties in traveling.
K C Venugopal, a prominent figure in the Congress national leadership, is expected to secure a place in the new working committee. However, Kharge is reportedly facing a dilemma regarding the inclusion of Ramesh Chennithala and Shashi Tharoor. Both leaders are highly regarded but come from the same community, making it impractical to have both leaders from Kerala along with Venugopal, explained the source.
In order to ensure equal representation of communities, there is a possibility that Kodikunnil Suresh may be included in the committee. The previous CWC was dissolved shortly after Kharge assumed the role of Congress chief, and a steering committee was formed to fulfill the responsibilities in the meantime.
Notably, there has been an eight-month delay in the formation of the new CWC, marking the first time such a delay has occurred.
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