CWC Meet Live Updates: Congress Accepts Defeat 'Humbly', Grants Rahul Gandhi Right To 'Restructure' Party

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala on Saturday said that party president Rahul Gandhi had offered to resign from his post, but CWC unanimously rejected the offer and asked the latter to continue as the leader.

"The Congress Working Committee accepts the people's verdict. The party respects over 12 crore people who trusted us, says Randeep Surjewala. The party also thanks its workers and salutes them for their struggle and hard work," he said.

Earlier, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting concluded after the top leader from across the country met and reviewed the party's abysmal performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.   

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, chief ministers of party-ruled states and other top leaders were present at the meeting. 

Senior leader and former Union minister P. Chidambaram also attended the meeting alongside his party colleagues including A.K. Antony, Ahmed Patel, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Sheila Dikshit, Mallikarjun Kharge, Ambika Soni, Anand Sharma and Jyotiraditya Scindia.

The meeting will go into the reasons behind the party's defeat and discuss why as to its poll narrative failed to convince the people to vote in its favour.

Here are the LIVE updates:

• Over 30 members spoke during the CWC meeting and everyone put forth their assessment of the Lok Sabha results, says Randeep Surjewala.

  Another senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said that we will do a thorough analysis of our defeat when the reports from different states come in. "The idea of today's CWC was to recognise and thank our voters, the Congress workers, leaders and Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his leadership of the part," Azad said.

  AICC general secretary in charge KC Venugopal said the CWC has granted he Gandhi scion the right to restructure the entire party, and a plan to this effect will be brought soon. 
• "The Congress Working Committee (CWC) accepts the people's verdict. The party respects over 12 crore people who trusted us," says Randeep Surjewala. The party also thanks to its workers and salutes them for their struggle and hard work.
• Congress President Rahul Gandhi offered resignation as president, but CWC unanimously rejected the offer and asked Rahul to continue taking the party forward, he said.

• Congress has been accused of peddling soft-Hindutva, and the party sources tell Outlook that they plan to go back to consolidating traditional support base comprising Muslims, Dalits, and tribals.
• Senior Congress leader Ambika Soni said that party president Rahul Gandhi's leadership "wasn't questioned at all" during the CWC meeting.  
• Sources told Outlook that massive "restructuring of the party" on the cards. The party looks forward to focussing more on grassroots campaigns and won't rely on leaders who can't win elections on their own. 
• K. C. Venugopal, the AICC general secretary, will address the media at 3:30 pm. 

• The CWC meeting has concluded. Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi have left without uttering a word to the reporters. 

  The Congress party is likely to hold an official briefing after 3:30 pm. The meeting continued for well over 3 hours. 

• Kamal Nath, who is a special invitee to the CWC in his capacity as a chief minister, has skipped the meeting. There are reports that Nath's government, which has the support of two BSP MLAs, an SP legislator and 3 independents is currently under threat from the BJP.

  A section of Congress leaders in Madhya Pradesh has blamed Nath for the poll debacle in the state. The leaders say that Nath spent most of the time campaigning for his son, Nakul Nath, in Chhindwara. Nakul is the lone elected parliamentarian from the state.

• Congress media cell chief Randeep Singh Surjewala has, however, maintained that reports of Rahul's resignation offer are incorrect. Sources say Rahul is yet to address the meeting though several CWC members have said that his resignation is not the solution.
• If it accepts Rahul's resignation, the big complication for the CWC will be that it will have to accept resignations of practically every PCC president and CM, with the exception of Amarinder Singh and Sunil Jakhar from Punjab and Mullapally Ramachandran in Kerala. 
• Various state in-charges, PCC presidents have said they take full responsibility for the party's defeat. They have asserted that Rahul led from the front and put in his best to take on Modi. 
• Congress president Rahul Ganhdi has offered to resign but CWC members, as expected, have rejected it.  They want him to fight on. The CWC meeting is still underway.  
• Senior party leaders including  Congress President Rahul Gandhi, former PM Manmohan Singh, former President Sonia Gandhi are at the meeting which has been underway for over an hour.