Decks ready to elect Rahul as Cong prez; CWC meet tomorrow to decide date

New Delhi: Decks are set to be cleared for Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's elevation as the next chief, with the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Monday to approve the schedule for the party president's election.

Party sources have said that Rahul will be elected as the national president of the grand old party before the Gujarat Assembly elections, which starts on December 9.

The decision will be taken at the meeting of the CWC at Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's 10 Janpath residence at 10:30 am on Monday.

The CWC will approve the schedule for the Congress president's election, they said.

Rahul Gandhi is expected to be the only candidate in the fray, the sources said.

Once the schedule for the election is approved by the CWC, the party's Central Election Authority will notify the same.

Party leaders say though it was not necessary to convene a formal meeting of the CWC to approve the schedule of the presidential election, Sonia Gandhi has decided to get the approval of the party's highest decision-making body.

The party's organisational election has to be completed before December 31. The Election Commission has given the party the last extension for completing the internal poll process by the end of this year.