Kharge to chair CWC meet as Congress plans roadmap to take on Modi government

At its previous CWC meeting in April, the Congress had accused the Modi government of using the issue of women’s reservation for political purposes.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, with party leaders Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal and others during the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting held in April, 2026. (File Photo)

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) will meet on Wednesday to take stock of the political situation and chart the party’s strategy on student and youth issues, Ram temple donation ‘theft’ as well as the upcoming Assembly elections.

The meeting will be held at 3 pm at Indira Bhawan and will be chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. Former party president Rahul Gandhi and general secretaries Jairam Ramesh and K C Venugopal are among the senior leaders expected to attend.

The meeting assumes significance as the Congress believes the agitation by students over examination irregularities, paper leaks and related issues has emerged as a major political issue and needs to be pursued beyond Parliament.

The party was at the forefront of the Opposition protests during the Monsoon Session over the alleged police action against protesting students and repeatedly demanded accountability from the government.

Sources said the CWC is expected to deliberate on how the campaign on youth and student issues should be taken forward, with LoP Rahul Gandhi stepping up his direct outreach to students. Gandhi will hold the next edition of his ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme in Pune on August 22, with the focus particularly on women students.

The party will also deliberate on the just-concluded Monsoon Session, said the sources. Congress leaders feel the Opposition managed to keep the government under pressure by holding firm on its demand for a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the alleged police action against protesting students.

Though the government offered a discussion with Shah’s intervention towards the fag end of the session, the Opposition did not relent on its other demands. The party feels the Opposition pressure also forced the government to put contentious bills, including the proposed FCRA amendments and delimitation bill, on the back burner.

On the possibility of the government bringing the delimitation-linked bill for implementing women’s reservation, veteran leader Jairam Ramesh had last week said, “We are in touch with all parties. We continue to be in touch with them, and I am sure that this issue will be discussed on August 19, when the CWC meets. The recent ‘Vande Mataram’ row could also come up for discussion.