Price rise on mind, PM and Sonia attend CWC meeting

The Congress Working Committee (CWC), including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, met in Delhi on Friday amid concerns over the rising prices of essential commodities.

The Congress Working Committee (CWC), including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, met in Delhi on Friday amid concerns over the rising prices of essential commodities.

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The meeting -- also attended by chief ministers of Congress-ruled states, except Maharashtra where party general secretary Rahul Gandhi is visiting -- comes a day ahead of a conference of chief ministers convened by the prime minister to discuss rising prices.

Congress sources said no agenda had been circulated for the meeting of CWC, the highest decision making body of the party. However, it is expected to chart out the party's response to efforts by chief ministers of opposition-ruled states to put the blame for price rise at the door of the central government.

Chief ministers of opposition-ruled Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar apart from Uttar Pradesh have been vocal in blaming the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for failing to check rising prices.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left have chalked out plans to target the Congress over price rise in the forthcoming budget session of parliament beginning February 22.