edited by: Oindrila Mukherjee
Last Update: February 23, 2023, 22:37 IST
The appointment of CWC members has added to the clout of the Speaker, who has been Gandhi in the past 20 years, but not now. (Image: PTI/File)
Since the party has decided to go for the presidential election, the next step is to demand elections to the Congress Working Committee – the top decision-making body – to ensure that the democratic process is followed
It is no easy decision for the Congress to hold elections to its top decision-making body, which is the Congress Working Committee or CWC. A member in this prestigious position is ultimately powerful. Over the years, the CWC has become a yes-man body, a line usually followed by the Congress president – which till recently meant following Gandhism.
The appointment of CWC members has added to the clout of the Speaker, who has been Gandhi over the last 20 years. But since this grand old party has decided to go for presidential elections – much to the chagrin of the G23 as well – the next step is to demand CWC elections to be held to ensure that the democratic process is complete.
Despite a non-Gandhi as president, it is still a senior leader of the party Rahul Gandhi who dominate party affairs especially after the Bharat Jodo Yatra. But a step back in history suggests that perhaps the current set of Steering Committee members, who are supposed to deliberate on the CWC, may not be too enthused about holding elections to the apex body.
First, the CWC consists of the party president, the leaders of both houses of parliament, and 23 members, of whom 12 are elected and the rest are appointed by the president. The last CWC election was held in 1997 during the Calcutta session when Sitaram Kesri was the president. But his tenure did not last long and he was forced to step down with Sonia Gandhi entering active politics for the first time.
Earlier in 1992, at the Tirupati session, the then president PV Narasimha Rao had paved the way for the CWC elections. But when he saw that many of his loyalists failed to win, he said that the elected CWC did not have enough representation for Dalits, women, and so he asked them all to resign to pave the way for his complete control over the body. asked for.
It is the concern that the party could be controlled by a single person and that person could be a non-Gandhi, which is again worrying the loyalists. While the right noises are being made in favor of the polls, those who are Gandhi loyalists fear that a president with real power through the CWC filled with his loyalists could overwhelm the power of the Gandhi family.
After the Bharat Jodo Yatra, it is felt that the traction it has got must be based on Rahul Gandhi. Also, while the Gandhi family can become life members of the CWC by virtue of being the former president, the issue is how to accommodate Priyanka Gandhi Vadra without holding elections.
And this could be one of the deciding factors whether the elections will be held or not.
read all latest politics news Here
