Paving the way for Rahul Gandhi to lead the party, the Congress on Monday announced elections to choose the next party president on December 16 "if necessary". The party said a new Congress President will be announced on December 19.

The schedule for election was approved by the Congress Working Committee on Monday.

The election will be notified on December 1, and the last date for filing nominations is December 4.

Watch @rssurjewala brief the press on the Congress Working Committee meeting which took place today. https://t.co/zLy3umLsm2

— Congress (@INCIndia) November 20, 2017

The nominations will be scrutinised on December 5, and last date for withdrawing nominations is December 11.

A statement announcing the dates said the date of poll would be December 16 "if necessary".

The election is set to bring party Vice President Rahul Gandhi as the next President of the party. Sonia Gandhi is the current Congress President.

Priyanka Chaturvedi, Spokesperson and National Convenor of the Indian National Congress said, “We are constitutionally electing #RahulGandhi as Party President and following the procedure. Not even a single BJP worker was asked before elevating Amit Shah.”

Previously, Rahul Gandhi had presided over a convention Jan Vedna Sammelan held in the national capital in January, to reflect on the sufferings of the people in the wake of demonetisation while Sonia Gandhi was absent due to health reasons.

Prior to that, Gandhi had presided over the party's foundation day function in December and also chaired a meeting of the party's Working Committee in the absence of Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Party sources had then indicated that this was likely to pave the way for Gandhi to take over as the President of the party at the earliest.