After 21 years, a person not from the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty could soon be the president of Congress.

The Congress party’s existential crisis would take time to resolve but there were indications on Monday that Congress president Rahul Gandhi is set to pave the way for the party to find his successor.

The party has found itself in limbo ever since Rahul Gandhi quit as the party chief in the aftermath of the Lok Sabha election results on May 23.

Rahul Gandhi, in his final act as the outgoing party chief, is set to convene a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) to allow the party to appoint his successor. The CWC is the party’s highest decision-making body.

At the CWC meeting following the party’s defeat in the Lok Sabha polls, Rahul Gandhi had quit as the party chief. The CWC, party’s state units and leaders had subsequently asked Rahul Gandhi to continue but he has insisted that his decision is non-negotiable.

While Rahul Gandhi quit, he had expected the rest of the CWC members to follow suit. This did not happen. None in the CWC quit even after 150 party office bearers, mostly lesser-known functionaries, quit to show solidarity with him.

It remains to be seen if Rahul Gandhi would dissolve the current CWC. Sources said it was likely the incumbent CWC would meet to pass a resolution to elect a new party chief. Congress leaders Sushil Kumar Shinde and Mallikarju Kharge could be compromise candidates.

Only the president of the Congress can convene a CWC, which would then decide the future course of action. In the absence of the party chief, the senior most general secretary can convene the CWC.

Rahul Gandhi has continued to look after the party’s day-to-day affairs and holding meetings. Senior leaders have conveyed to him that it was time that he took a call to convene a meeting in the interest of the party and help end the limbo that is damaging the morale of party workers.

On Monday, Congress chief ministers met Rahul Gandhi. It was termed a routine meeting. Sources rejected speculation that Rahul Gandhi asked them to quit their respective chief ministerial positions. The meeting lasted over two hours.

According to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, the chief ministers reiterated that Rahul Gandhi should continue as the party chief. He declined. The truth, however, is that very few of the senior leaders actually want him to continue. They point out that either Rahul Gandhi or his team took most of the decisions during the polls.

The new president of the party would be expected to carry out the reconstruction of the party’s organisation with the help of senior leaders. Rahul Gandhi, unencumbered by the responsibilities of running the party, would be free to travel the country and campaign for the party. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, his sister and party general secretary for Uttar Pradesh, would prepare for 2022 Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi was the Congress president from 1998 to 2017, and Rahul Gandhi succeeded him. The last non-dynastic president of the party was Sitaram Kesri who served from 1996 to 1998.