New Delhi: A day after a tense Congress Working Committee meeting ended with the impression that the Gandhis had prevailed yet again, several signatories to the letter of dissent said the fight is “far from over”.“This is not a question of a position or, for that matter, of being angry. One must recognise the need for a robust opposition for a functional democracy. There are people who have signed the letter who have given more than 40 years to the party. This is an evolving concern and the process has only just begun,” one party MP told The Wire, requesting anonymity.On Monday, after the CWC meeting, several signatories held a private meeting at the house of senior colleague and Rajya Sabha member Ghulam Nabi Azad. Most signatories that The Wire spoke to said they had gone there for a “briefing from colleagues,” presumably of what transpired at the meeting as only four signatories to the letter of dissent were present at the meeting.Apart from Azad, those who had fielded questions to the Congress leadership were Anand Sharma, Mukul Wasnik and Jitin Prasada. One of these leaders, who did not wish to be named, told The Wire that there was a general air of disappointment about the discussion within the CWC because the focus remained on why the letter was written and who “leaked” it – and not on its contents or its spirit.Also read: ‘Will See How They Move Freely’: Maharashtra Congress Amps Pressure on 3 Dissenting Leaders“There were, ironically, some who accused others of speaking to leaders who had left the party in the past to form parties of their own, when they themselves have left the party and come back,” said the leader. The leader said MPs A.K. Antony and Ambika Soni were among those who took an aggressive stand against the letter.The leader further said that the discussion stressed on the tenure of the interim Congress president. “Now that the president’s tenure will continue for six months, and an AICC session for the succession plan will be held, a four-member committee will assist her. But, it remains to be seen what the format will be; no one knows yet,” said the leader, indicating that this panel could well become the next bone of contention.Also read: In a Move to Democratise, 4-Member Committee Will Assist Sonia Gandhi as Congress ChiefHinting at the same accusations, another signatory, an MP, told The Wire that unless the Congress forms strong alliances with parties such as Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party, Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSR Congress and Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, it will face a Herculean task ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.“We must seek a greater consolidation and come together to take the battle forward. There is the youth vote that has vanished, and unless these fundamental issues are addressed, we are staring at another colossal defeat,” said the MP.At the heart of the leadership issue is also the fact that the party has not held elections since 1997, said Sanjay Jha, who was suspended from the party in July this year for alleged “anti-party activities”. “The elections should have happened last year, since the AICC in August last year took the decision to appoint Sonia Gandhi as interim president. There is wider consensus on that, and more party colleagues than the 23 signatories hold that view,” said Jha.Also read: As Letter to Sonia Gandhi Causes Upheaval, a Look at Congress’s Muddy Internal DemocracyHe added that since the pandemic only started in India in March, effectively, eight months were wasted.As the meeting continued on Monday, Lok Sabha MP Manickam Tagore put out a tweet, seemingly to quell accusations of not holding elections.It’s the @INCIndia consitution article 18 (H) . #CWC appoints Congress President and AICC session will be called for election. Now from March #COVIDー19 restrictions continues . AICC members 1100 + 700 DCC presidents . Hope lies get rest and truth prevails ! 🇮🇳💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/jngZ1N3aH2— Manickam Tagore MP🇮🇳✋மாணிக்கம் தாகூர் (@manickamtagore) August 24, 2020Leaders attending the CWC meeting said that while Rahul Gandhi has spoken of transparent elections to pick the president, it remains to be seen what happens next.Jha said that contrary to speculation, the dissenters were not opposed to the Gandhis taking over. “That said, there are fundamental issues that are plaguing the party now, and internal democracy has given way to a personality-centric organisation,” said Jha.“The Gandhis are intrinsic to the Congress’s history and its future and one recognises their contribution. But Rahul Gandhi said a year ago that he doesn’t want to be the president and we opted for a temporary solution. The dissenters are reluctant to delay the process of a permanent solution to this, and there is a possibility of having a non-Gandhi in the future at the helm. The procedure takes time and it should begin soon,” he added.