Indian National Congress’s highest decision-body, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) confirmed today that the much-awaited election of its new chief will be held on October 17, 2022. The party will get its new president after a wait of 21 years.
Earlier, the meeting came just two days after the resignation offered by the party’s senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad hitting back at Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi over the party’s deplorable situation saying, “It had reached the point of no return.”
Sonia Gandhi had returned as the interim president of Congress after Rahul Gandhi resigned in the wake of the party’s poor performance during the Lok Sabha election in 2019 and so, after a gap of around two and a half years, the party will soon have its new officially-elected chief.
One of the party’s key G-23 leaders, Former Union Minister Anand Sharma, quit the post of chairman of the Congress Steering Committee (CSC) recently of being ignored for not being a part in the party’s decision-making process. He questioned the condition of starkness over party’s decision to consider 9000 delegates as PCC (Pradesh Congress Committee) and other committees and raised questions on electoral rolls in CWC and the process of election at the lower level, following which party president Sonia Gandhi had asked party’s Central Election Authority (CEA) chairman Madhusudan Mistry to address the raised issues concerning the future of the party and the so, the related lists must be available for scrutiny.
Responding to which, Mistry said that he would provide the entire list of delegates to contest this open election. He also mentioned the appointments of over 9000 delegates who will vote for the Congress president’s election and all the lists would be duly verified and duly signed by the poll returning officers.
The Former Union Minister Anand Sharma, 69, mentioned his concerns in a letter to the Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and stated the instances where he was not even informed of the key election strategy meetings happening in Himachal Pradesh state and had asserted, “My self-respect is non-negotiable.”
Earlier, the party chief Sonia Gandhi had presided over the CWC meeting virtually along with Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi.
It is to be noted that she is currently abroad because of her medical concerns and for her regular health check-ups.
Meanwhile, the former chief minister of Maharashtra and G-23 leader, Prithvi Chavan lashed out at the current condition of the party and said, “It would not survive if a ‘puppet president’ was elected. He also stated that if Congress leader Rahul Gandhi or anyone from his family do not wish to become the party president, then an alternative arrangement must be made to elect a new chief, whereas the chief minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot felt elated after receiving the information regarding the election of a new party president.
Speculations had surfaced across media that CM Ashok Gehlot was offered the Congress’s president post by the interim chief Sonia Gandhi. But he denied the entire bigmouth episode and stated that he was completely focused and concentrated in fulfilling the entitled duties given as a chief minister.
After the media broke the news on Gehlot being considered as the top candidate for party’s chief, CM Prithvi Chavan backed the party’s decision saying, “We have no objection over the decision, if he (Gehlot) is elected as party’s chief. If Rahul Gandhi or any of his family members do not wish to become party’s chief then we must accept and consider his decision. We cannot keep the post unattended for a longer period. The position is open for everyone. If Gehlot put forward his consent to be the party’s chief, we all would be happy to have him. He is a senior party leader and aware of the party’s most technicalities, administrative arrangements and provisions….It would be good for us, if he put forward his name.”
Earlier, the late Congress leader Jitendra Prasad had served as the vice-president of the INC and had also held the post of political advisor to two prime ministers of India, Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 and PV Narsimha Rao in 1994. His son and the Congress leader Jitin Prasad left the party and joined BJP at the party headquarters in the national capital.
The Central Election Authority (CEA) chairman, Congress, Madhusudan Mistry declared the framework of the election that would be held on October 17 and the result would be declared on October 19, whereas the notification for the election will be issued on September 22. The nomination would begin on September 24 and will continue till September 30.
Mistry also mentioned that if there is just one candidate, the result will be declared on September 30 itself.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh denied the rumours regarding any questions that were raised related to the election procedure during CWC meeting.
The AICC’s General Secretary, K C Venugopal stated that in October, 2021, Congress had already announced about the election of the new party chief to be held between August 20 and September 20 this year, but as announced today, it is going to be held in October now. He later stated that because of a few interventions like several demonstrations that took place, occurrences of scheduled programmes and decision over the appointment of PCC delegates, the announcement over the election process was delayed for around 20 days.
On being questioned regarding Rahul Gandhi’s interest for being a contestant as party’s chief, Venugopal asserted that those who would want to contest, may file their name before September 30.
