Rahul Gandhi is set to be raised as Congress president within the next couple of weeks. Party chief Sonia Gandhi has assemble a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Monday to approve the schedule for election of the Congress president. The Head central election authority, Mullappally Ramachandran which review conduct of the organizational polls, has submitted multiple schedules to the Congress president. The process of election from the date of notification to nomination, withdrawal, investigating and actual election will take 12 to 14 days.

It is up to the working committee to decide the time frame, but sources in the party said Rahul is expected to take over before the first phase of polling in Gujarat, on December 9. A senior leader told he could take over by the end of November itself. It is not clear whether the CWC will decide the role Sonia will play post Rahul’s elevation, or convene another meeting later on this. Sources said she would remain a figurehead and could continue as chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party.

Sonia Gandhi mother of Rahul Gandhi has held the post of Congress chief since 1998, and is now the longest-serving president of the party. The delay in convening the CWC and the suspense over Rahul’s elevation have been the subject of much debate in the party. It was in November last year that the CWC unanimously asked Rahul to take over, but he wanted to follow the election route.