New Delhi, Feb 26 (IANS): The absence of Rahul Gandhi from the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, here on Wednesday, convened to review the situation in the aftermath of riots in Delhi that claimed 27 lives, has raised the question whether he is the CEC member or not.

On missing such a crucial meeting despite staying active on the social media condemning the violence, sources in his office said he was out of the country. The former party president, according to sources, is also unhappy over the series of events in the party.

On the CWC membership, sources said, he had not been nominated to the highest decision making body of the party. But he was a member by virtue of being former party president. According to the party constitution, former party presidents and former Prime Ministers naturally become members of the CWC.

The Indian National Congress website also mentions his name just below the name of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the CWC list.

Rahul Gandhi is likely to return as the party president in April.

According to the debate within the party, a new chief should be appointed. Even Anil Shastri suggested that Priyanka Gandhi should be appointed the party chief, but former Union Minister Manish Tiwari suggested Sonia Gandhi's name to become formal party chief.

"Overwhelming consensus in the Congress is that we need Sonia Gandhi as president for foreseeable future," Tiwari said. "We should look for another president only after sorting out our ideological issues," he said.