RAIPUR: The Congress plenary session is starting today at Raipur in Chhattisgarh. The steering committee meeting starting at 10 am will be led by party president Mallikarjuna Kharge. It is indicated that no one from the Gandhi family including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul and Priyanka will attend the meet. Former chief ministers A K Antony and Oommen Chandy will not attend the meeting. Rahul will reach Raipur only tomorrow.

The meet today will take a decision on whether to hold elections to the Congress Working Committee. If there is an election, Shashi Tharoor and Ramesh Chennithala are likely to contest. However, if no election is held, there will be a delay in selecting the new working committee. There is a possibility to assign the party president for it.

15,000 delegates will participate in the three-day plenary session. 1338 people have the right to vote. Political observers are watching to see if the Congress will take steps to unite the opposition before next year's Lok Sabha elections. Whether the Congress will be able to come to power in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, where it is currently in power, as well as in the opposition Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, will depend on the ideas emerging in the conference.