NEW DELHI: Congress Working Committee (CWC) the party's highest decision-making body of the Indian National Congress today unanimously decided to postpone the election to the post of party president until the COVID-19 situation in the country improves.

After Rahul Gandhi resigned as party president post the party's failure in the 2019 general election, Sonia Gandhi has been the party's interim president.

Later in a media briefing general secretary of the party, KC Venugopal said that the CWC passed a unanimous resolution for postponing the internal elections for the post of Congress and focusing all its energy on the Covid-19 relief and rehabilitation efforts,

The CWC resolution says, "In view of the nationwide emergent conditions prevailing on account of unprecedented Corona pandemic, the CWC was unanimous that all our energies should be channelized towards saving every life and helping every Covid affected person. CWC, therefore, unanimously resolved to defer the elections temporarily in the midst of these challenging times." 

According to sources during the CWC, June 23 was proposed for the election but the date met with resistance from some leaders. Eventually, the party decided to delay the elections in view of the pandemic.

Apart from the election to the top post, the CWC was also called to introspect on reasons for its below-par performance in assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Assam and Pudducherry and during the meeting, Mrs Gandhi took very strong note of the party's debacle. 

She said senior leaders from the states that went to the polls in April & May would be required to brief the party very frankly, on its performance. She demanded that the party should take note of our serious setbacks and put its house in order.

"We want them (the state leaders) to tell us why we performed well below expectation. These results tell us clearly that we need to put our house in order," Mrs Gandhi said in her opening remarks at a meeting of the CWC.

Over the past year senior leaders of Congress in an informal grouping of its leaders, including Ghulam Nabi Azad, Kapil Sibal and Anand Sharma among others - referred to as 'G-23' have called for 'full-time' and 'effective leadership' that will be "visible" and "active" in the field.