The decision to send the letter was finally taken after an audience with Sonia seemed unlikely, “particularly given the current Covid situation and steadily rising cases and Sonia had only recently (in early August) been hospitalised”. The letter was sent to Sonia, on August 7, by Ghulam Nabi Azad after he was informed in the interim party chief’s office that she was back home from the hospital. Azad spoke to Sonia once over the following week to “enquire about her health and check if she had read the letter”. On August 17, since the group had not received any reply from Sonia, another reminder was sent to Sonia by Azad. By this time, sources say, several signatories had heard from some senior party leaders who weren’t among those who wrote the letter that an extended CWC meet was being convened and that the high command was “livid about the revolt”. Azad is learnt to have requested Sonia, over phone, to “meet the signatories before the CWC was called” but an appointment wasn’t given.