New Delhi: The leadership crisis in the Congress party seems to be inching towards the final overs with the Congress Working Committee expected to meet at the end of this week to finalise the next chief from a list of three names which have been thrown up by a secret ballot.

The party has also called a meeting of all General Secretaries and state in-charges on July 31 — the first official meeting since the May 25 CWC where Rahul Gandhi had tendered his resignation taking responsibility for the party’s dismal performance in the Lok Sabha polls.

Though the July 31 meeting is ostensible to discuss celebrations for Rajiv Gandhi’s 75th birth anniversary celebrations, sources said it was but natural that the road ahead for the grand-old party including preparations for the coming Assembly polls in three states are discussed.

The much-awaited meeting is likely to be held later this weekend. The Congress leadership has been maintaining that Rahul Gandhi continues to be the Party President till his resignation is accepted by the CWC.

After a series of informal meetings among senior Congress leaders had failed to throw up a consensus, the CWC members had been finally asked to give their choices in a sealed cover.

It is based on this, that three names have emerged as top choices, the sources said.

A section of Congress leadership especially the younger leaders have been seeking an early resolution of the leadership crisis arguing that it was hurting the Congress in the long run.

Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor was the latest to join the bandwagon asserting that “lack of clarity” over leadership following Rahul Gandhi’s resignation was hurting the Congress and the way forward for the party could be opening up all key posts, including the CWC membership, to fresh elections which would help legitimise the incoming set of leaders.

He also supported Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh’s view that it was time for a younger leadership to take over.

The Punjab chief minister, meanwhile, on Monday batted for Priyanka Gandhi as the next Congress chief.