NEW DELHI: The Delhi Congress unit is likely to get new chief by this weekend, with party insiders indicating a senior leader having the experience of leading the city unit likely to get the nod from Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi.
The post is lying vacant after the demise of Sheila Dikshit on July 20.
Sonia has been regularly meeting senior Delhi Congress leaders for past few weeks and discussing the names of candidates for the post of the state unit chief.
“In today’s meeting, she was apprised that the next head should be someone who could take all the workers and leaders together in view of the Assembly elections scheduled early next year. It was also conveyed that any delay in announcing the Delhi Congress president may not be in the best interests of the party,” said one leader who attended the meeting.
Sonia has reportedly told the leaders that she would convey her decision in next two-three days.
AICC incharge of Delhi Congress PC Chacko, who was present in the meeting, said the Congress chief was informed that her decision will be acceptable to the entire party unit. “The decision of Soniaji will be announced very soon.”
Besides Chacko, the meeting on Thursday was attended by ex-Delhi Congress presidents Tajdar Babar, Subhash Chopra, Arvinder Singh Lovely, Ajay Maken. Former Delhi Congress president JP Agarwal could not attend the meeting as he was out of the city.
Another leader indicated that the leader to be appointed as president of Delhi Congress could be an experienced one, who has earlier held the charge.
“As the elections are nearing, the party will give this responsibility to someone who has the experience of working as president of the Delhi Congress in the past.”
Earlier, Sonia had held meetings with district presidents to discuss the selection of a new chief for the party’s city unit.
The names of four senior leaders are doing the rounds in the Congress circles.
“The party is at a crucial juncture. The new chief must be appointed soon. The organisation in the national capital is almost defunct. It will require efforts to resurrect the party’s fortune in Delhi,” said a senior party leader.