Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi has on Saturday made a staunch announcement to the group of party's dissidents known as 'G23' that she is a full-time, hands-on president of the party. Sonia Gandhi was speaking at the party's top decision-making body - the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting and sent a strong signal to the party that she will continue to hold the baton of the party until the next Chief is elected. 

Clearing the clouds of political furore within the circle of the party's high command, Sonia Gandhi has affirmed that every member of the party wants a revival of the Congress, but that requires unity and keeping the party's interests paramount. Gandhi's remarks had come days after Kapil Sibal, one of the leaders of the G23, raised questions about the absence of a full-time president. 

Sibal had demanded that an immediate meeting of the Congress Working Committee be convened and wondered who in the party was taking decisions in the absence of a full-time president. The party had convened the CWC on Saturday and in her opening remarks at the meeting, she spoke about keeping the party's interests paramount. 

By highlighting that the Congress had finalized a roadmap for electing a regular Congress president by June 30 this year, Sonia Gandhi said that the deadline was extended indefinitely in the wake of the Covid-19 second wave. She further said that today was the occasion for bringing clarity once and for all on the issue of the organisational polls. She said, "I am, if you to allow me to say so, a full-time and hands-on Congress president."

Gandhi has asserted that she has always appreciated frankness and there was no need to speak to her through the media. "So, let us all have a free and honest discussion. But what should get communicated outside the four walls of this room is the collective decision of the CWC", she added. Besides Sonia Gandhi, the meeting was attended by Rahul Gandhi, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress Chief Ministers Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel, and Charanjit Channi. 

After a five-hour-long meeting of the CWC, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal has announced the election schedule, which includes a massive membership drive, for the polls starting from November 1, 2021, and will go on till March 31, 2022. Venugopal said that the election of PCC Presidents, Vice Presidents, Treasurers, PCC executives, and AICC members by the PCC General Body will be held between July 21-August 20, 2022. He added that the election of the Congress President will be held between August 21-September 20, 2022.