Congress President Rahul Gandhi is today chairing his first meeting of the newly constituted Congress Working Committee...

Congress President Rahul Gandhi is today chairing his first meeting of the newly constituted Congress Working Committee (CWC) after taking over as party chief in December last.  The crucial meeting of the revamped CWC is underway in Parliament House Annexe and comes two days after the no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha which the Opposition lost.

Rahul Gandhi's Congress working committee

The committee, which was announced last week after Gandhi deliberated on its composition for close to seven months, is expected to take stock of the current political, economic and internal and external security situation of the country besides discussing party strategy for the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament. There is also a likelihood of the new committee members brainstorming on the strategies to be adopted to counter Prime Minister Narendra Modi led BJP in the run-up to assembly elections later this year and General Elections 2019.

Gandhi has set the tone for the Congress strategy by going forward and hugging Prime Minister Modi during the no-confidence motion discussions in Lok Sabha and by proclaiming that he will counter the BJP's hatred and anger with Congress' love and compassion.  Among those present at today's meeting include former prime minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, top Congress leaders AK Antony, Motilal Vora, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge and Ashok Gehlot among others.

Gandhi's CWC has 23 regular members instead of 25

This is the meeting of extended CWC which also consists of all state party chiefs and legislature party leaders apart from the regular CWC members, permanent and special invitees to the committee. Gandhi's CWC has 23 regular members instead of 25 allowed by the party constitution. It has 18 permanent and eight special invitees.