The assumption of the post of party chief is expected to potentially put Rahul Gandhi in a position to lead the party in the 2024 parliamentary elections.
for now, Sonia Gandhi Will continue to be party president. He rejected dissenting criticism that the party lacks a “full-time” leadership, saying he is too “hands-on” and has taken on government and worked with like-minded opposition parties.
“So let us all have a free and honest discussion. But what should happen outside the boundary wall of this room is a collective decision of the CWC.” Sonia Said at a meeting of the party’s apex body on Saturday.
After a lengthy debate over organizational elections, an issue supported by the dissident bloc, the G-23, the Congress on Saturday announced the election schedule, culminating with the election of the party president by September 20, 2022. This means the election of the new president will take place on schedule as the five-year term of the earlier election will end.
Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal said the internal election process would begin from November 1 this year with nominations for primary membership. The elections to the block, district and state level Congress committees will be held between April and September next year, culminating in the election of the AICC president between August 21 and September 20, 2022. The next CWC, Venugopal said, would be constituted at a later Congress session, the date of which would be announced later.
At the CWC meeting, Rahul came under pressure from the consensus view of the gathering that he became the party chief again. As the appeal for the body’s approval reached a climax with the election schedule on the table, Rahul said, “Let me think about it.”
This is the closest he has come to agreeing to retake the top post since his resignation, when he said that no member of the Gandhi family should take the post again. The CWC appointed Sonia Gandhi as interim president in June 2019 after she refused to rescind her resignation.
What stood out at the CWC meeting and prompted Rahul to approve the program was an angry Sonia Gandhi, who rejected the G-23 claim that there was no party president – a recent press conference The allegations leveled by Kapil Sibal in While Sonia did not name anyone, her target was clearly visible.
“I am, if you will allow me to say so, a full-time and practical Congress President… You know I am raising them (issues) with the Prime Minister, as Dr. Manmohan Singh and Rahul ji. I have been interacting regularly with like-minded political parties. We have issued joint statements on national issues and have coordinated our strategy in Parliament as well… I have always appreciated openness. There is no need to talk to me through the media,” she said.
Sonia became tough on G-23’s allegations that the party was not conducting organizational elections. He said a roadmap to elect a regular president by June 30 this year had been drawn up, but a second wave of the pandemic messed up the plans.
The CWC meeting was called after G-23 leader Ghulam Nabi Azad wrote to Sonia Gandhi that the meeting be called to decide organizational elections and discuss the party’s position, a request she made in another letter to Sonia last year. Was.
Interestingly, while Gandhi said that she has been a full-time, practical president, she also gave a list of activities undertaken by the party over the past two and a half years and initiatives taken personally, including coordination with the opposition. .
“The entire organization wants revival of Congress. But for this unity is needed and maintaining the interest of the party is paramount. Above all, it requires self-control and discipline.”
The announcement of the electoral process paved the way for resolving a complex issue that practically left the Congress rudderless, party leaders left in the lurch and Congress suffered repeated electoral defeats. The crisis-like situation will be tested further with the upcoming elections in five states in March next year. However, the feeling that the party will find a leader again for the foreseeable future is expected to settle nerves for insiders who are concerned about the lack of direction in the absence of a full-time president.
The CWC on Saturday also approved the launch of a continuous and intensive training program for its workers and leaders with a focus on ideology, grassroots messaging, election management and campaigning, for which state trainers will be appointed next month. An orientation camp will be organized. Additionally, the Congress said it would launch a two-week-long ‘Jan Jagran Abhiyan’ from November 14 to 29 to address the issues of rising prices and inflation.
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