Sonia Gandhi responds to Congress leaders' letter; says ready to step down as party president

Congress President Sonia Gandhi, in her reply to top Congress leaders' letter expressed willingness to step down from her post, adding that the party should choose a new chief. The letter was written by 23 party leaders including those from the Congress Working Committee (CWC) over the state of affairs in the party asking for an overhaul within the internal organisation.

According to sources, Sonia Gandhi has sent a formal reply to the letter in which she has stated that her stint as party's interim president for one year is complete and she would like to resign from her post.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) is slated to be held on Monday, August 24. Sources added that the meeting was convened as a response to the letter to deliberate over the organisational issues highlighted by the Congress leaders.Sonia Gandhi is expected to recapitulate her wish to step down from the presidential post and ask party members to pick their leader.

Sources also confirmed that Sonia Gandhi had spoken to Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad over the telephone in this regard.

Earlier this month, 23 senior Congress leaders penned a letter to her proposing a change in the party's organisational framework.