Congress chief spokesman and general secretary Janardan Dwivedi on Tuesday scoffed at media reports that the Congress Working Committee meeting called on June 4 will decide the party's presidential candidate.
"The President is never decided by the CWC as the basic purpose of these meetings is always to discuss the political and economic situation and provide a solution to the party's government at the Centre and the states," Dwivedi clarified.
He said the process of consultations among the senior party leaders and also with the allies and the supporting parties is already on to pick up the most acceptable candidate and then propose his or her name to the opposition parties to strive for a consensus.
Pparty sources also laughed at some reports about the possibility of the CWC asking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to pick up the presidential gauntlet.
They said the CWC meeting is going to be an extended one as the Pradesh Congress Committee presidents, chief ministers and legislature party leaders will also attend.
The party has not held a regular CWC for long, except for meeting briefly to discuss the Assembly poll debacle. And hence, party president Sonia Gandhi felt all senior leaders in Delhi and states must meet to put their heads together on how to face the coming Assembly elections towards the year end and next year before the Lok Sabha polls.
Sources said Sonia is equally concerned on the blockade of the economic reforms and hence there should be no surprise if the CWC resolves to support the hard decisions the government will have to take in the coming weeks to revive the economy.
They said Sonia wants to send out a clear message that she was not a stumbling block in the government's economic decisions as a section of media tries to project as a conflict between the party and the government on the economic reforms.
