News Analysis India

Tag: Congress president

  • Rajasthan rebellion puts question mark on Gehlot’s future

    By Online Desk

    NEW DELHI/JAIPUR: The open rebellion by MLAs close to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has put a question mark on whether he would still run for the Congress president’s post or if someone else will replace him as a candidate supported by the current leadership.

    Congress President Sonia Gandhi had on Monday sought a written report on the revolt in Rajasthan from party observers Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken as the chances of Ashok Gehlot becoming the party chief receded and other names cropped up for the post.

    Kharge and Maken, who were sent as observers to Jaipur for a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting, briefed Gandhi after their return to Delhi and termed the parallel meet held by Gehlot loyalists as “indiscipline”.

    ALSO READ | Quit as CM, Kamal Nath to convey high command’s message to Gehlot

    They are expected to recommend disciplinary action against those behind the move, including minister Shanti Dhariwal and Rajasthan Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi.

    Gehlot loyalists had submitted resignation letters to Assembly Speaker C P Joshi on Sunday evening, in an apparent bid to put pressure on the central leadership to pick someone from the Gehlot camp as CM if the veteran leader is elected the party president. The loyalist MLAs indicated that they were against the appointment of Sachin Pilot, who led a rebellion against Gehlot in 2020, to the post.

    On Monday, Gehlot loyalist Dhariwal accused Maken, AICC in-charge for Rajasthan, of being involved in a conspiracy to remove Gehlot as chief minister and alleged he was canvassing for Pilot.

    Sonia Gandhi is reportedly “upset” over the Rajasthan developments as Gehlot was being considered as her successor for the top post. Sources said Gehlot told the two observers that he is not behind the Jaipur development and the MLAs involved in it were not listening to him.

    ALSO READ | Sonia seeks report on Jaipur rebellion, Gehlot less likely now to be party president

    Names of senior party leaders Kharge, Kamal Nath, Digvijaya Singh, Sushilkumar Shinde, Mukul Wasnik and Kumari Selja are now also doing the rounds for the post.

    Congress leader Kamal Nath, who met Sonia Gandhi Monday, ruled himself out as a candidate. Kharge and Maken are likely to submit their report to Gandhi about the crisis in the party’s state unit by Wednesday. After a nearly one and half hour-long meeting with Gandhi, Maken told reporters on Monday that it was “unfortunate” that the CLP meet could not be held.

    AICC General Secretary-Organisation K C Venugopal was also present during the meeting with Gandhi.

    Accusing the MLAs in the Gehlot camp of “indiscipline”, Maken said their demand setting conditions for a resolution authorising the party president to pick the next chief minister was a “conflict of interest”.

    “In the 75 years of Congress history, there has never been a conditional resolution. The resolution is one line only. Everything is told to the Congress president and then a decision is taken,” he told reporters in Jaipur.

    “The resolution should not have any conflict of interest,” he said, elaborating that anyone contesting the election could become party president and then decide on the resolution. He said there was a clear direction to them from Sonia Gandhi that “we speak to every MLA and submit a report, and then the Congress president would have taken a call after speaking to everyone”. He said representatives of some MLAs came to them in Jaipur to put forward three conditions.

    ALSO READ | Rajasthan political crisis: Pro-Gehlot MLAs indulged in rank indiscipline, say Maken and Kharge

    One of them was that the decision on the resolution would be taken after the organisational polls, and this should be part of the resolution.

    In an indirect reference to Gehlot, he asked how is it possible that a person authorising the Congress president to take a call on the next CM, himself takes a decision on it after winning the party election. “If this is not conflict of interest, then what is,” he said.

    Maken said the MLAs loyal to Gehlot wanted to meet them in groups, and were told by him and Kharge that there was no precedent for this. One-on-one meetings are held during CLP meets so that MLAs can express themselves freely, he said.

    Adding to the turmoil, Congress chief whip in Rajasthan Assembly Mahesh Joshi said the party MLAs have no objection to whoever is made the chief minister, but the final decision of the high command should be agreeable to them.

    “The doubts of the MLAs should be cleared by the high command and then whatever decision is taken will be accepted. We do not have any objection if anyone is made the chief minister but the final decision should have consensus,” Joshi said.

    Congress sources said 82 MLAs loyal to Gehlot are likely to hold another meeting to decide their next course of action. They say they want someone who stood with the Congress government during the political crisis in Rajasthan in 2020 to be the next CM.

    In July 2020, Pilot and 18 other party MLAs had rebelled against Gehlot’s leadership. The Congress has 108 MLAs in the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly.

    NEW DELHI/JAIPUR: The open rebellion by MLAs close to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has put a question mark on whether he would still run for the Congress president’s post or if someone else will replace him as a candidate supported by the current leadership.

    Congress President Sonia Gandhi had on Monday sought a written report on the revolt in Rajasthan from party observers Mallikarjun Kharge and Ajay Maken as the chances of Ashok Gehlot becoming the party chief receded and other names cropped up for the post.

    Kharge and Maken, who were sent as observers to Jaipur for a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting, briefed Gandhi after their return to Delhi and termed the parallel meet held by Gehlot loyalists as “indiscipline”.

    ALSO READ | Quit as CM, Kamal Nath to convey high command’s message to Gehlot

    They are expected to recommend disciplinary action against those behind the move, including minister Shanti Dhariwal and Rajasthan Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi.

    Gehlot loyalists had submitted resignation letters to Assembly Speaker C P Joshi on Sunday evening, in an apparent bid to put pressure on the central leadership to pick someone from the Gehlot camp as CM if the veteran leader is elected the party president. The loyalist MLAs indicated that they were against the appointment of Sachin Pilot, who led a rebellion against Gehlot in 2020, to the post.

    On Monday, Gehlot loyalist Dhariwal accused Maken, AICC in-charge for Rajasthan, of being involved in a conspiracy to remove Gehlot as chief minister and alleged he was canvassing for Pilot.

    Sonia Gandhi is reportedly “upset” over the Rajasthan developments as Gehlot was being considered as her successor for the top post. Sources said Gehlot told the two observers that he is not behind the Jaipur development and the MLAs involved in it were not listening to him.

    ALSO READ | Sonia seeks report on Jaipur rebellion, Gehlot less likely now to be party president

    Names of senior party leaders Kharge, Kamal Nath, Digvijaya Singh, Sushilkumar Shinde, Mukul Wasnik and Kumari Selja are now also doing the rounds for the post.

    Congress leader Kamal Nath, who met Sonia Gandhi Monday, ruled himself out as a candidate. Kharge and Maken are likely to submit their report to Gandhi about the crisis in the party’s state unit by Wednesday. After a nearly one and half hour-long meeting with Gandhi, Maken told reporters on Monday that it was “unfortunate” that the CLP meet could not be held.

    AICC General Secretary-Organisation K C Venugopal was also present during the meeting with Gandhi.

    Accusing the MLAs in the Gehlot camp of “indiscipline”, Maken said their demand setting conditions for a resolution authorising the party president to pick the next chief minister was a “conflict of interest”.

    “In the 75 years of Congress history, there has never been a conditional resolution. The resolution is one line only. Everything is told to the Congress president and then a decision is taken,” he told reporters in Jaipur.

    “The resolution should not have any conflict of interest,” he said, elaborating that anyone contesting the election could become party president and then decide on the resolution. He said there was a clear direction to them from Sonia Gandhi that “we speak to every MLA and submit a report, and then the Congress president would have taken a call after speaking to everyone”. He said representatives of some MLAs came to them in Jaipur to put forward three conditions.

    ALSO READ | Rajasthan political crisis: Pro-Gehlot MLAs indulged in rank indiscipline, say Maken and Kharge

    One of them was that the decision on the resolution would be taken after the organisational polls, and this should be part of the resolution.

    In an indirect reference to Gehlot, he asked how is it possible that a person authorising the Congress president to take a call on the next CM, himself takes a decision on it after winning the party election. “If this is not conflict of interest, then what is,” he said.

    Maken said the MLAs loyal to Gehlot wanted to meet them in groups, and were told by him and Kharge that there was no precedent for this. One-on-one meetings are held during CLP meets so that MLAs can express themselves freely, he said.

    Adding to the turmoil, Congress chief whip in Rajasthan Assembly Mahesh Joshi said the party MLAs have no objection to whoever is made the chief minister, but the final decision of the high command should be agreeable to them.

    “The doubts of the MLAs should be cleared by the high command and then whatever decision is taken will be accepted. We do not have any objection if anyone is made the chief minister but the final decision should have consensus,” Joshi said.

    Congress sources said 82 MLAs loyal to Gehlot are likely to hold another meeting to decide their next course of action. They say they want someone who stood with the Congress government during the political crisis in Rajasthan in 2020 to be the next CM.

    In July 2020, Pilot and 18 other party MLAs had rebelled against Gehlot’s leadership. The Congress has 108 MLAs in the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly.

  • Shashi Tharoor collects nomination form, first to officially enter race for Congress chief

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday got the nomination form for the AICC presidential poll collected from the party headquarters here with sources saying he is likely to file his papers on September 30.

    Tharoor’s close aide Aalim Javeri collected the forms from the office of the party’s central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry on the first day of the start of the nomination process, all but confirming an electoral face-off for the top party post with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

    The nomination form is likely to be filed by Tharoor on the last day of the nomination process on September 30 as the idea is to collect nomination-endorsing signatures from across the country, sources told PTI.

    A total of 10 Pradesh Congress Committee delegates are needed to endorse a candidate.

    After over two decades, the Congress is set to see a contest for the post of party chief with Gehlot, who has announced his candidature, expected to take on Tharoor.

    Tharoor on Monday had met Sonia Gandhi and expressed his intention to contest the poll.

    The Congress president conveyed she would stay “neutral” in the elections, according to sources.

    Sonia Gandhi had welcomed the idea of more people contesting the poll and dispelled the notion that there would be an “official candidate”.

    According to a notification issued by the party on Thursday, the process for filing nominations for the election will be held from September 24 to 30.

    The date for a scrutiny of the nomination papers is October 1, while the last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 8.

    The final list of candidates will be published at 5 pm on October 8.

    The polling, if needed, will be held on October 17.

    The counting of votes will be taken up on October 19 and the results will be declared the same day.

    More than 9,000 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates will vote in the poll.

    The Congress last saw a contest for the party president’s post in November 2000.

    Jitendra Prasada had lost to Sonia Gandhi in 2000 and prior to that, Sitaram Kesri had defeated Sharad Pawar and Rajesh Pilot in 1997.

    NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday got the nomination form for the AICC presidential poll collected from the party headquarters here with sources saying he is likely to file his papers on September 30.

    Tharoor’s close aide Aalim Javeri collected the forms from the office of the party’s central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry on the first day of the start of the nomination process, all but confirming an electoral face-off for the top party post with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

    The nomination form is likely to be filed by Tharoor on the last day of the nomination process on September 30 as the idea is to collect nomination-endorsing signatures from across the country, sources told PTI.

    A total of 10 Pradesh Congress Committee delegates are needed to endorse a candidate.

    After over two decades, the Congress is set to see a contest for the post of party chief with Gehlot, who has announced his candidature, expected to take on Tharoor.

    Tharoor on Monday had met Sonia Gandhi and expressed his intention to contest the poll.

    The Congress president conveyed she would stay “neutral” in the elections, according to sources.

    Sonia Gandhi had welcomed the idea of more people contesting the poll and dispelled the notion that there would be an “official candidate”.

    According to a notification issued by the party on Thursday, the process for filing nominations for the election will be held from September 24 to 30.

    The date for a scrutiny of the nomination papers is October 1, while the last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 8.

    The final list of candidates will be published at 5 pm on October 8.

    The polling, if needed, will be held on October 17.

    The counting of votes will be taken up on October 19 and the results will be declared the same day.

    More than 9,000 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates will vote in the poll.

    The Congress last saw a contest for the party president’s post in November 2000.

    Jitendra Prasada had lost to Sonia Gandhi in 2000 and prior to that, Sitaram Kesri had defeated Sharad Pawar and Rajesh Pilot in 1997.

  • Cong prez polls: Anyone including Sachin Pilot acceptable as CM, says Gehlot’s minister 

    Express News Service

    JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s indication of leaving the post of CM in the event of filing a nomination for Congress President has heated up the political scene in the state. The question of who will be the CM of Rajasthan if Gehlot becomes the national president is being hotly debated.

    In the midst of these questions, a minister in the Gehlot government, Rajendra Gudha, has raised the political temperature by saying that he will be with the Congress high Command and whichever name the Gandhi family decides will be acceptable, even if it is Sachin Pilot, Gehlot’s arch-rival.

    Minister Gudha is one of the six MLAs who switched from the BSP to Congress three years ago. CM Gehlot had included him in Congress and in the cabinet expansion held last year, he was also inducted into the state cabinet.

    Talking to the media in Jaipur on Thursday, Gudha said, “We are only with the Congress high command. Whoever Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi choose, he will be our Chief Minister.”

    Gudha also claimed that this stand is not only his but of all the other five MLAs who joined the Congress from BSP. He said their group is not averse to making Gehlot’s rival Sachin Pilot as the Chief Minister and remarked, “our yes is not only for Sachin Pilot, but also for Bharosi Lal Jatav.” ( a Dalit MLA of the Congress)

    Meanwhile, after Gehlot’s statement, his supporters have also come forward.  Independent MLA Sanyam Lodha, who is supporting the Congress and is an advisor to the Chief Minister, said that the next election can be won only on the face of Gehlot. Lodha said, “Ashok Gehlot started the schemes for the welfare of the poor and he has done wonderful work for four years as the Chief Minister. He has done unprecedented work of development and it is only by keeping his face in the forefront that Congress can get the benefit of all those works.”

    Cabinet Minister Ram Lal Jat also praised Gehlot and said “Wherever he is, we know his capabilities and he will raise the flag of Congress in entire India. If he gets a chance,  as a chief minister Gehlot has given great schemes for Rajasthan.”

    While talking to the media in Kochi on Thursday, Gehlot took a U-Turn on the statement of staying in two posts in Delhi on Wednesday and made it clear that the post of AICC President has to look after the work of the whole country and all the states, so he cannot hold two posts.  “Till date, no Congress president in history has been a chief minister at the same time.” He also added that the role of the President is to revive the Congress, then how can you keep two posts.”

    Now the tussle between Gehlot and his rival Sachin Pilot camp will intensify over the appointment of the new Chief Minister.  Besides Pilot, the other names that are being discussed the most are Assembly Speaker CP Joshi, state Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra and former Union Minister Bhanwar Jitendra Singh.  It will be interesting to see on whose head the Gandhi family keeps the crown.

    Gehlot met Rahul Gandhi in Kochi for the last time and tried to persuade him to become the president.  After Rahul Gandhi’s clear no, Gehlot plans to file his nomination.  The notification for the election of Congress President was issued today and in case of a contest, the result will be declared on October 19.

    JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s indication of leaving the post of CM in the event of filing a nomination for Congress President has heated up the political scene in the state. The question of who will be the CM of Rajasthan if Gehlot becomes the national president is being hotly debated.

    In the midst of these questions, a minister in the Gehlot government, Rajendra Gudha, has raised the political temperature by saying that he will be with the Congress high Command and whichever name the Gandhi family decides will be acceptable, even if it is Sachin Pilot, Gehlot’s arch-rival.

    Minister Gudha is one of the six MLAs who switched from the BSP to Congress three years ago. CM Gehlot had included him in Congress and in the cabinet expansion held last year, he was also inducted into the state cabinet.

    Talking to the media in Jaipur on Thursday, Gudha said, “We are only with the Congress high command. Whoever Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi choose, he will be our Chief Minister.”

    Gudha also claimed that this stand is not only his but of all the other five MLAs who joined the Congress from BSP. He said their group is not averse to making Gehlot’s rival Sachin Pilot as the Chief Minister and remarked, “our yes is not only for Sachin Pilot, but also for Bharosi Lal Jatav.” ( a Dalit MLA of the Congress)

    Meanwhile, after Gehlot’s statement, his supporters have also come forward.  Independent MLA Sanyam Lodha, who is supporting the Congress and is an advisor to the Chief Minister, said that the next election can be won only on the face of Gehlot. Lodha said, “Ashok Gehlot started the schemes for the welfare of the poor and he has done wonderful work for four years as the Chief Minister. He has done unprecedented work of development and it is only by keeping his face in the forefront that Congress can get the benefit of all those works.”

    Cabinet Minister Ram Lal Jat also praised Gehlot and said “Wherever he is, we know his capabilities and he will raise the flag of Congress in entire India. If he gets a chance,  as a chief minister Gehlot has given great schemes for Rajasthan.”

    While talking to the media in Kochi on Thursday, Gehlot took a U-Turn on the statement of staying in two posts in Delhi on Wednesday and made it clear that the post of AICC President has to look after the work of the whole country and all the states, so he cannot hold two posts.  “Till date, no Congress president in history has been a chief minister at the same time.” He also added that the role of the President is to revive the Congress, then how can you keep two posts.”

    Now the tussle between Gehlot and his rival Sachin Pilot camp will intensify over the appointment of the new Chief Minister.  Besides Pilot, the other names that are being discussed the most are Assembly Speaker CP Joshi, state Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra and former Union Minister Bhanwar Jitendra Singh.  It will be interesting to see on whose head the Gandhi family keeps the crown.

    Gehlot met Rahul Gandhi in Kochi for the last time and tried to persuade him to become the president.  After Rahul Gandhi’s clear no, Gehlot plans to file his nomination.  The notification for the election of Congress President was issued today and in case of a contest, the result will be declared on October 19.

  • Congress to issue delegates’ list on Sept 20 for Congress president post contenders

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Anyone wanting to file a nomination for the post of Congress president will be able to see the list of all 9,000 delegates from the office of central election authority at the AICC office from September 20, Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry has said.

    Addressing the concerns of five MPs, including Shashi Tharoor, Karti Chidambaram, and Manish Tewari, over the electoral rolls and the “transparency, fairness” in the election process, Mistry said those seeking to contest the poll can check the names of 10 delegates from the list.

    Once the nomination is signed and handed over to the Chief Returning Officer, they will get the entire list of the delegates, he said in a letter to the MPs.

    “If anyone desires to get nominations from ten supporters from different states, the list of all 9000+ delegates will be available in my office at AICC, Delhi from 20th September (11 AM to 6 PM), before they file their nomination on 24th September,” Mistry said in his letter to Tharoor and others.

    “They can come and choose their 10 supporters (delegates) from the list and obtain their (delegates) signature for nomination,” he said.

    The Congress President’s election will be held on October 17 and nominations can be filed from September 24 to 30.

    “This should resolve the anxiety of anybody about the process of filing their nominations without knowing the names of the delegates. Once the nomination is signed and handed over to the Chief Returning Officer, they will get the entire list of the delegates. I hope this satisfies the needs of you and other colleagues who have signed the letter. I express my gratitude to Shashi ji for calling and having a conversation with me on the same today,” Mistry also said in his letter.

    Sharing the letter, Tharoor said on Twitter, “I am pleased that this clarification has come in the form of his constructive reply to our letter (attached). In view of these assurances, I am satisfied. Many will be glad to move on with an election process that in my view will only strengthen the party.”

    Chidambaram also tweeted: “As a signatory to the letter along with my parliamentary colleagues, I am satisfied with the reply from @MD_Mistry ji & I endorse the sentiments of my senior colleague @ShashiTharoor.”

    Mistry said those who want to file a nomination should check if they have a delegate identity card available to them. Only people with valid identity cards will be allowed to sign the nomination papers for the position of Congress President, Mistry said in his letter.

    NEW DELHI: Anyone wanting to file a nomination for the post of Congress president will be able to see the list of all 9,000 delegates from the office of central election authority at the AICC office from September 20, Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry has said.

    Addressing the concerns of five MPs, including Shashi Tharoor, Karti Chidambaram, and Manish Tewari, over the electoral rolls and the “transparency, fairness” in the election process, Mistry said those seeking to contest the poll can check the names of 10 delegates from the list.

    Once the nomination is signed and handed over to the Chief Returning Officer, they will get the entire list of the delegates, he said in a letter to the MPs.

    “If anyone desires to get nominations from ten supporters from different states, the list of all 9000+ delegates will be available in my office at AICC, Delhi from 20th September (11 AM to 6 PM), before they file their nomination on 24th September,” Mistry said in his letter to Tharoor and others.

    “They can come and choose their 10 supporters (delegates) from the list and obtain their (delegates) signature for nomination,” he said.

    The Congress President’s election will be held on October 17 and nominations can be filed from September 24 to 30.

    “This should resolve the anxiety of anybody about the process of filing their nominations without knowing the names of the delegates. Once the nomination is signed and handed over to the Chief Returning Officer, they will get the entire list of the delegates. I hope this satisfies the needs of you and other colleagues who have signed the letter. I express my gratitude to Shashi ji for calling and having a conversation with me on the same today,” Mistry also said in his letter.

    Sharing the letter, Tharoor said on Twitter, “I am pleased that this clarification has come in the form of his constructive reply to our letter (attached). In view of these assurances, I am satisfied. Many will be glad to move on with an election process that in my view will only strengthen the party.”

    Chidambaram also tweeted: “As a signatory to the letter along with my parliamentary colleagues, I am satisfied with the reply from @MD_Mistry ji & I endorse the sentiments of my senior colleague @ShashiTharoor.”

    Mistry said those who want to file a nomination should check if they have a delegate identity card available to them. Only people with valid identity cards will be allowed to sign the nomination papers for the position of Congress President, Mistry said in his letter.

  • ‘Congress presidential post contenders can see delegates list at AICC office from September 20’: Madhusudan Mistry

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Anyone wanting to file a nomination for the post of Congress president will be able to see the list of the over 9,000 delegates at the AICC’s central election authority office from September 20, senior party leader Madhusudan Mistry said on Saturday.

    The announcement came in the wake of five MPs writing a letter to Mistry raising concerns about their inability to see who all are allowed to vote and nominate among the delegates.

    Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who was among the five MPs who had written to Mistry, said he had spoken with Mistry, the party’s central election authority chief, to end the “controversy” that arose after a “malicious leak” of their letter to him.

    He stressed that they were seeking clarification, not confrontation, and attached Mistry’s letter too in his tweet.

    In his letter, Mistry said if anyone desires to get nominations from 10 supporters from different states, the list of all 9,000-plus delegates will be available in his office at AICC, Delhi from September 20 (11 AM to 6 PM), before they file their nomination on September 24.

    They can come and choose their 10 supporters or delegates from the list and obtain their signature for nomination, Mistry said in his reply to Lok Sabha members Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari, Karti Chidambaram, Pradyut Bordoloi, and Abdul Khaleque, who had written to him.

    In a joint letter to Mistry dated September 6, the five MPs had expressed concern about the “transparency and fairness” in the election for the party’s top post, and sought that the list of the PCC delegates that make up the electoral college be provided to all electors and potential candidates.

    They had said this list must be made available in order to verify who is entitled to nominate a candidate and who is entitled to vote.

    “I spoke with @incIndia chief Election Authority Madhusudan Mistry ji this morning to end the unseemly controversy that had arisen after the malicious leak of a private letter from 5 MPs to him,” Tharoor said in a tweet on Saturday.

    “I stressed that as loyal Congressmen we were seeking clarification, not confrontation,” he said.

    The MP from Thiruvananthapuram said he is pleased that this clarification has come in the form of his constructive reply to their letter.

    “In view of these assurances, I am satisfied. Many will be glad to move on with an election process that in my view will only strengthen the party,” he said.

    Chidambaram tweeted: “As a signatory to the letter along with my parliamentary colleagues, I am satisfied with the reply from Mistry ji and I endorse the sentiments of my senior colleague Shashi Tharoor.”

    In his reply to the five MPs, Mistry said he notes their concern and appreciates their intention of strengthening the party and having a free, fair and transparent election of the Congress president.

    Mistry said the first avenue open for any delegate to file a nomination for the Congress president election is that they can look for the names of the 10 delegates in their state at the Pradesh Congress Committee office.

    The name and the serial number are available in the state list.

    The nomination signed by 10 supporters will be sufficient for validity of the nomination, he said.

    “For the first time, we are also issuing QR code based identity cards to all the delegates across the 28 States and nine Union Territories that have Congress Committees.

    “Those who want to file a nomination should check if they have a delegate identity card available with them,” Mistry said in his communication to the five MPs.

    Only people with valid identity cards will be allowed to sign on the nomination papers for the position of the Congress president, Mistry said.

    “This should resolve the anxiety of anybody about the process of filing their nominations without knowing the names of the delegates.

    “Once the nomination is signed and handed over to the Chief Returning Officer, they will get the entire list of the delegates,” he said.

    “I hope this satisfies the needs of you and other colleagues who have signed the letter. I express my gratitude to Shashi ji for calling and having a conversation with me on the same,” Mistry said in his letter.

    Earlier in their letter, the five MPs had said, “In case the CEA (Central Election Authority) has any concerns with respect to releasing the electoral rolls publicly, it must put in place a mechanism to securely share this information with all electors and potential candidates.”

    Electors and candidates cannot be expected to go to all 28 Pradesh Congress Committees (PCCs) and nine Union territorial units across the country to verify the electoral rolls, the MPs had said in their communication to Mistry.

    Tharoor and Tewari were among the group of 23 leaders who had written to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in 2020 seeking an organisational overhaul.

    Tharoor is said to be contemplating running for the post of party president.

    The notification for the Congress president’s election will be out on September 22 and the process for filing nominations will be held from September 24 to 30.

    The last date for the withdrawal of nominations is October 8 and the election, if required, will be held on October 17.

    The results will be out on October 19.

    NEW DELHI: Anyone wanting to file a nomination for the post of Congress president will be able to see the list of the over 9,000 delegates at the AICC’s central election authority office from September 20, senior party leader Madhusudan Mistry said on Saturday.

    The announcement came in the wake of five MPs writing a letter to Mistry raising concerns about their inability to see who all are allowed to vote and nominate among the delegates.

    Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who was among the five MPs who had written to Mistry, said he had spoken with Mistry, the party’s central election authority chief, to end the “controversy” that arose after a “malicious leak” of their letter to him.

    He stressed that they were seeking clarification, not confrontation, and attached Mistry’s letter too in his tweet.

    In his letter, Mistry said if anyone desires to get nominations from 10 supporters from different states, the list of all 9,000-plus delegates will be available in his office at AICC, Delhi from September 20 (11 AM to 6 PM), before they file their nomination on September 24.

    They can come and choose their 10 supporters or delegates from the list and obtain their signature for nomination, Mistry said in his reply to Lok Sabha members Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari, Karti Chidambaram, Pradyut Bordoloi, and Abdul Khaleque, who had written to him.

    In a joint letter to Mistry dated September 6, the five MPs had expressed concern about the “transparency and fairness” in the election for the party’s top post, and sought that the list of the PCC delegates that make up the electoral college be provided to all electors and potential candidates.

    They had said this list must be made available in order to verify who is entitled to nominate a candidate and who is entitled to vote.

    “I spoke with @incIndia chief Election Authority Madhusudan Mistry ji this morning to end the unseemly controversy that had arisen after the malicious leak of a private letter from 5 MPs to him,” Tharoor said in a tweet on Saturday.

    “I stressed that as loyal Congressmen we were seeking clarification, not confrontation,” he said.

    The MP from Thiruvananthapuram said he is pleased that this clarification has come in the form of his constructive reply to their letter.

    “In view of these assurances, I am satisfied. Many will be glad to move on with an election process that in my view will only strengthen the party,” he said.

    Chidambaram tweeted: “As a signatory to the letter along with my parliamentary colleagues, I am satisfied with the reply from Mistry ji and I endorse the sentiments of my senior colleague Shashi Tharoor.”

    In his reply to the five MPs, Mistry said he notes their concern and appreciates their intention of strengthening the party and having a free, fair and transparent election of the Congress president.

    Mistry said the first avenue open for any delegate to file a nomination for the Congress president election is that they can look for the names of the 10 delegates in their state at the Pradesh Congress Committee office.

    The name and the serial number are available in the state list.

    The nomination signed by 10 supporters will be sufficient for validity of the nomination, he said.

    “For the first time, we are also issuing QR code based identity cards to all the delegates across the 28 States and nine Union Territories that have Congress Committees.

    “Those who want to file a nomination should check if they have a delegate identity card available with them,” Mistry said in his communication to the five MPs.

    Only people with valid identity cards will be allowed to sign on the nomination papers for the position of the Congress president, Mistry said.

    “This should resolve the anxiety of anybody about the process of filing their nominations without knowing the names of the delegates.

    “Once the nomination is signed and handed over to the Chief Returning Officer, they will get the entire list of the delegates,” he said.

    “I hope this satisfies the needs of you and other colleagues who have signed the letter. I express my gratitude to Shashi ji for calling and having a conversation with me on the same,” Mistry said in his letter.

    Earlier in their letter, the five MPs had said, “In case the CEA (Central Election Authority) has any concerns with respect to releasing the electoral rolls publicly, it must put in place a mechanism to securely share this information with all electors and potential candidates.”

    Electors and candidates cannot be expected to go to all 28 Pradesh Congress Committees (PCCs) and nine Union territorial units across the country to verify the electoral rolls, the MPs had said in their communication to Mistry.

    Tharoor and Tewari were among the group of 23 leaders who had written to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in 2020 seeking an organisational overhaul.

    Tharoor is said to be contemplating running for the post of party president.

    The notification for the Congress president’s election will be out on September 22 and the process for filing nominations will be held from September 24 to 30.

    The last date for the withdrawal of nominations is October 8 and the election, if required, will be held on October 17.

    The results will be out on October 19.

  • Congress presidential polls: Under pressure from dissidents, party tweaks election norms

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Anyone wanting to file a nomination for the post of Congress president will be able to see the list of the over 9,000 delegates at the AICC’s central election authority office from September 20, senior party leader Madhusudan Mistry said on Saturday.

    The announcement came in the wake of five MPs writing a letter to Mistry raising concerns about their inability to see who all are allowed to vote and nominate among the delegates.

    Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who was among the five MPs who had written to Mistry, said he had spoken with Mistry, the party’s central election authority chief, to end the “controversy” that arose after a “malicious leak” of their letter to him.

    He stressed that they were seeking clarification, not confrontation, and attached Mistry’s letter too in his tweet.

    In his letter, Mistry said if anyone desires to get nominations from 10 supporters from different states, the list of all 9,000-plus delegates will be available in his office at AICC, Delhi from September 20 (11 AM to 6 PM), before they file their nomination on September 24.

    They can come and choose their 10 supporters or delegates from the list and obtain their signature for nomination, Mistry said in his reply to Lok Sabha members Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari, Karti Chidambaram, Pradyut Bordoloi, and Abdul Khaleque, who had written to him.

    In a joint letter to Mistry dated September 6, the five MPs had expressed concern about the “transparency and fairness” in the election for the party’s top post, and sought that the list of the PCC delegates that make up the electoral college be provided to all electors and potential candidates.

    They had said this list must be made available in order to verify who is entitled to nominate a candidate and who is entitled to vote.

    “I spoke with @incIndia chief Election Authority Madhusudan Mistry ji this morning to end the unseemly controversy that had arisen after the malicious leak of a private letter from 5 MPs to him,” Tharoor said in a tweet on Saturday.

    “I stressed that as loyal Congressmen we were seeking clarification, not confrontation,” he said.

    The MP from Thiruvananthapuram said he is pleased that this clarification has come in the form of his constructive reply to their letter.

    “In view of these assurances, I am satisfied. Many will be glad to move on with an election process that in my view will only strengthen the party,” he said.

    Chidambaram tweeted: “As a signatory to the letter along with my parliamentary colleagues, I am satisfied with the reply from Mistry ji and I endorse the sentiments of my senior colleague Shashi Tharoor.”

    In his reply to the five MPs, Mistry said he notes their concern and appreciates their intention of strengthening the party and having a free, fair and transparent election of the Congress president.

    Mistry said the first avenue open for any delegate to file a nomination for the Congress president election is that they can look for the names of the 10 delegates in their state at the Pradesh Congress Committee office.

    The name and the serial number are available in the state list.

    The nomination signed by 10 supporters will be sufficient for validity of the nomination, he said.

    “For the first time, we are also issuing QR code based identity cards to all the delegates across the 28 States and nine Union Territories that have Congress Committees.

    “Those who want to file a nomination should check if they have a delegate identity card available with them,” Mistry said in his communication to the five MPs.

    Only people with valid identity cards will be allowed to sign on the nomination papers for the position of the Congress president, Mistry said.

    “This should resolve the anxiety of anybody about the process of filing their nominations without knowing the names of the delegates.

    “Once the nomination is signed and handed over to the Chief Returning Officer, they will get the entire list of the delegates,” he said.

    “I hope this satisfies the needs of you and other colleagues who have signed the letter. I express my gratitude to Shashi ji for calling and having a conversation with me on the same,” Mistry said in his letter.

    Earlier in their letter, the five MPs had said, “In case the CEA (Central Election Authority) has any concerns with respect to releasing the electoral rolls publicly, it must put in place a mechanism to securely share this information with all electors and potential candidates.”

    Electors and candidates cannot be expected to go to all 28 Pradesh Congress Committees (PCCs) and nine Union territorial units across the country to verify the electoral rolls, the MPs had said in their communication to Mistry.

    Tharoor and Tewari were among the group of 23 leaders who had written to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in 2020 seeking an organisational overhaul.

    Tharoor is said to be contemplating running for the post of party president.

    The notification for the Congress president’s election will be out on September 22 and the process for filing nominations will be held from September 24 to 30.

    The last date for the withdrawal of nominations is October 8 and the election, if required, will be held on October 17.

    The results will be out on October 19.

    NEW DELHI: Anyone wanting to file a nomination for the post of Congress president will be able to see the list of the over 9,000 delegates at the AICC’s central election authority office from September 20, senior party leader Madhusudan Mistry said on Saturday.

    The announcement came in the wake of five MPs writing a letter to Mistry raising concerns about their inability to see who all are allowed to vote and nominate among the delegates.

    Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who was among the five MPs who had written to Mistry, said he had spoken with Mistry, the party’s central election authority chief, to end the “controversy” that arose after a “malicious leak” of their letter to him.

    He stressed that they were seeking clarification, not confrontation, and attached Mistry’s letter too in his tweet.

    In his letter, Mistry said if anyone desires to get nominations from 10 supporters from different states, the list of all 9,000-plus delegates will be available in his office at AICC, Delhi from September 20 (11 AM to 6 PM), before they file their nomination on September 24.

    They can come and choose their 10 supporters or delegates from the list and obtain their signature for nomination, Mistry said in his reply to Lok Sabha members Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari, Karti Chidambaram, Pradyut Bordoloi, and Abdul Khaleque, who had written to him.

    In a joint letter to Mistry dated September 6, the five MPs had expressed concern about the “transparency and fairness” in the election for the party’s top post, and sought that the list of the PCC delegates that make up the electoral college be provided to all electors and potential candidates.

    They had said this list must be made available in order to verify who is entitled to nominate a candidate and who is entitled to vote.

    “I spoke with @incIndia chief Election Authority Madhusudan Mistry ji this morning to end the unseemly controversy that had arisen after the malicious leak of a private letter from 5 MPs to him,” Tharoor said in a tweet on Saturday.

    “I stressed that as loyal Congressmen we were seeking clarification, not confrontation,” he said.

    The MP from Thiruvananthapuram said he is pleased that this clarification has come in the form of his constructive reply to their letter.

    “In view of these assurances, I am satisfied. Many will be glad to move on with an election process that in my view will only strengthen the party,” he said.

    Chidambaram tweeted: “As a signatory to the letter along with my parliamentary colleagues, I am satisfied with the reply from Mistry ji and I endorse the sentiments of my senior colleague Shashi Tharoor.”

    In his reply to the five MPs, Mistry said he notes their concern and appreciates their intention of strengthening the party and having a free, fair and transparent election of the Congress president.

    Mistry said the first avenue open for any delegate to file a nomination for the Congress president election is that they can look for the names of the 10 delegates in their state at the Pradesh Congress Committee office.

    The name and the serial number are available in the state list.

    The nomination signed by 10 supporters will be sufficient for validity of the nomination, he said.

    “For the first time, we are also issuing QR code based identity cards to all the delegates across the 28 States and nine Union Territories that have Congress Committees.

    “Those who want to file a nomination should check if they have a delegate identity card available with them,” Mistry said in his communication to the five MPs.

    Only people with valid identity cards will be allowed to sign on the nomination papers for the position of the Congress president, Mistry said.

    “This should resolve the anxiety of anybody about the process of filing their nominations without knowing the names of the delegates.

    “Once the nomination is signed and handed over to the Chief Returning Officer, they will get the entire list of the delegates,” he said.

    “I hope this satisfies the needs of you and other colleagues who have signed the letter. I express my gratitude to Shashi ji for calling and having a conversation with me on the same,” Mistry said in his letter.

    Earlier in their letter, the five MPs had said, “In case the CEA (Central Election Authority) has any concerns with respect to releasing the electoral rolls publicly, it must put in place a mechanism to securely share this information with all electors and potential candidates.”

    Electors and candidates cannot be expected to go to all 28 Pradesh Congress Committees (PCCs) and nine Union territorial units across the country to verify the electoral rolls, the MPs had said in their communication to Mistry.

    Tharoor and Tewari were among the group of 23 leaders who had written to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in 2020 seeking an organisational overhaul.

    Tharoor is said to be contemplating running for the post of party president.

    The notification for the Congress president’s election will be out on September 22 and the process for filing nominations will be held from September 24 to 30.

    The last date for the withdrawal of nominations is October 8 and the election, if required, will be held on October 17.

    The results will be out on October 19.

  • Rahul parries query on party president post

    By Express News Service

    KANNIYAKUMARI:  Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that he has made his decision on whether he will take up party presidency but did not divulge his plans, asserting that he will give his reasons if he does not contest the upcoming elections for the post.

    Gandhi’s remarks are seen by many in the party as an indication that he may stick to his earlier stance of not taking up the party chief’s post. With his cryptic remarks the suspense over who would be the next president of the grand old party continued.

    Addressing a press conference here on the second day of the Congress’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, the former party chief said the Kanyakumari-Kashmir march was being undertaken to undo the “damage” done by the BJP-RSS and would also help in forging Opposition unity, even though that is a separate exercise.

    “This foot-march is a journey. It is also an attempt to understand the ground reality in the country, and to undo some of the damages the RSS and BJP have meted out to the nation. The fight is not between two political parties. It is between the structure of the Indian state and those opposing it. It won’t be an easy fight. They have already captured the institutional framework of India, and they want to impose their vision on the entire country. We can’t allow that. India has multiple visions and everyone should be able to live in harmony,” Rahul said.

    Asked about the second-rung party leaders taking exception to how matters are being handled in the Congress high command, Rahul said, “The BJP has its own ways of putting pressure on leaders of other parties. You all know how the Centre is using the CBI, ED and I-T department to intimidate other parties.” He also added that unity of the Opposition parties is the need of the hour. “Everyone has a role in the fight to defeat the BJP. Discussions are underway,” he added.

    A controversy erupted over Gandhi’s white T-shirt with the BJP taking a dig at him by suggesting that he was wearing a T-shirt costing over Rs 41,000 during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The Congress hit back saying the ruling party should also talk about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Rs 10-lakh suit and Rs 1.5 lakh glasses.

    Responding to a question at the presser, Gandhi said he is not leading the yatra but is only participating in it. Asked if he would become the Congress president, he said, “Whether I become president or not, this will become very clear when the presidential elections of the Congress party take place.”

    KANNIYAKUMARI:  Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that he has made his decision on whether he will take up party presidency but did not divulge his plans, asserting that he will give his reasons if he does not contest the upcoming elections for the post.

    Gandhi’s remarks are seen by many in the party as an indication that he may stick to his earlier stance of not taking up the party chief’s post. With his cryptic remarks the suspense over who would be the next president of the grand old party continued.

    Addressing a press conference here on the second day of the Congress’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, the former party chief said the Kanyakumari-Kashmir march was being undertaken to undo the “damage” done by the BJP-RSS and would also help in forging Opposition unity, even though that is a separate exercise.

    “This foot-march is a journey. It is also an attempt to understand the ground reality in the country, and to undo some of the damages the RSS and BJP have meted out to the nation. The fight is not between two political parties. It is between the structure of the Indian state and those opposing it. It won’t be an easy fight. They have already captured the institutional framework of India, and they want to impose their vision on the entire country. We can’t allow that. India has multiple visions and everyone should be able to live in harmony,” Rahul said.

    Asked about the second-rung party leaders taking exception to how matters are being handled in the Congress high command, Rahul said, “The BJP has its own ways of putting pressure on leaders of other parties. You all know how the Centre is using the CBI, ED and I-T department to intimidate other parties.” 
    He also added that unity of the Opposition parties is the need of the hour. “Everyone has a role in the fight to defeat the BJP. Discussions are underway,” he added.

    A controversy erupted over Gandhi’s white T-shirt with the BJP taking a dig at him by suggesting that he was wearing a T-shirt costing over Rs 41,000 during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The Congress hit back saying the ruling party should also talk about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Rs 10-lakh suit and Rs 1.5 lakh glasses.

    Responding to a question at the presser, Gandhi said he is not leading the yatra but is only participating in it. Asked if he would become the Congress president, he said, “Whether I become president or not, this will become very clear when the presidential elections of the Congress party take place.”

  • CWC to meet Sunday to approve schedule for election of Congress president

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Congress Working Committee (CWC) will meet on Sunday to approve the schedule of dates for the election of the next party president.

    This comes in the backdrop of party veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad’s shock resignation Friday.

    Sources said besides giving approval to the polls schedule, the members of the CWC, the party’s highest decision-making body, could also express confidence in the leadership provided by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

    This would be significant in the context of Azad’s resignation and criticism of the leadership.

    Azad ended his five-decade association with the party and lashed out at Rahul Gandhi for “demolishing its entire consultative mechanism”.

    The Congress, dealing with the fallout of a series of high-profile exits, including that of Kapil Sibal and Ashwani Kumar, attempted to deflect the latest blow by alleging that Azad’s DNA had been “Modi-fied” and linking his resignation to the end of his Rajya Sabha tenure.

    Ahead of the CWC meeting, to be held virtually at 3:30 PM with Sonia Gandhi presiding over it, party sources had said the process of the election of the president will be delayed by a few weeks, not more than that, and the party should have a full-time president in October.

    The Congress had announced in October last year that the election of the new party president will be held between August 21 and September 20 this year.

    The CWC had decided that elections for block committees and one member each of state Congress units will be held from April 16 to May 31, district committee chiefs will be elected between June 1 and July 20, state chiefs and AICC members between July 21 and August 20, and AICC president between August 21 and September 20.

    Sources had also said the election of the Congress president is likely to be delayed by a few weeks with the party focused on the Kanyakumari to Kashmir ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ starting September 7 and some state units not completing formalities.

    With Sonia Gandhi abroad for medical checkups and Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accompanying her, they will join the CWC meeting virtually.

    The meeting comes amid several leaders, including Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, having publicly exhorted Rahul Gandhi to return as the party chief.

    However, uncertainty and suspense continue on the issue.

    Several party insiders say Rahul Gandhi is persisting with his stance that he will not be the AICC president.

    Gehlot on Wednesday had sought to play down reports about him being the frontrunner for the Congress president’s post and said efforts will be made till the last minute to persuade Rahul Gandhi to take over the reins of the party again.

    Gehlot’s remarks had come a day after he met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, triggering the buzz that the two may have discussed the possibility of him being the next party president.

    Rahul Gandhi had resigned as Congress president after the party suffered its second consecutive defeat in parliamentary elections in 2019.

    Sonia Gandhi who took over the reins of the party again as interim president had also offered to quit in August 2020 after an open revolt by a section of leaders, referred to as G-23, but the CWC had urged her to continue.

    NEW DELHI: The Congress Working Committee (CWC) will meet on Sunday to approve the schedule of dates for the election of the next party president.

    This comes in the backdrop of party veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad’s shock resignation Friday.

    Sources said besides giving approval to the polls schedule, the members of the CWC, the party’s highest decision-making body, could also express confidence in the leadership provided by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

    This would be significant in the context of Azad’s resignation and criticism of the leadership.

    Azad ended his five-decade association with the party and lashed out at Rahul Gandhi for “demolishing its entire consultative mechanism”.

    The Congress, dealing with the fallout of a series of high-profile exits, including that of Kapil Sibal and Ashwani Kumar, attempted to deflect the latest blow by alleging that Azad’s DNA had been “Modi-fied” and linking his resignation to the end of his Rajya Sabha tenure.

    Ahead of the CWC meeting, to be held virtually at 3:30 PM with Sonia Gandhi presiding over it, party sources had said the process of the election of the president will be delayed by a few weeks, not more than that, and the party should have a full-time president in October.

    The Congress had announced in October last year that the election of the new party president will be held between August 21 and September 20 this year.

    The CWC had decided that elections for block committees and one member each of state Congress units will be held from April 16 to May 31, district committee chiefs will be elected between June 1 and July 20, state chiefs and AICC members between July 21 and August 20, and AICC president between August 21 and September 20.

    Sources had also said the election of the Congress president is likely to be delayed by a few weeks with the party focused on the Kanyakumari to Kashmir ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ starting September 7 and some state units not completing formalities.

    With Sonia Gandhi abroad for medical checkups and Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accompanying her, they will join the CWC meeting virtually.

    The meeting comes amid several leaders, including Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, having publicly exhorted Rahul Gandhi to return as the party chief.

    However, uncertainty and suspense continue on the issue.

    Several party insiders say Rahul Gandhi is persisting with his stance that he will not be the AICC president.

    Gehlot on Wednesday had sought to play down reports about him being the frontrunner for the Congress president’s post and said efforts will be made till the last minute to persuade Rahul Gandhi to take over the reins of the party again.

    Gehlot’s remarks had come a day after he met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, triggering the buzz that the two may have discussed the possibility of him being the next party president.

    Rahul Gandhi had resigned as Congress president after the party suffered its second consecutive defeat in parliamentary elections in 2019.

    Sonia Gandhi who took over the reins of the party again as interim president had also offered to quit in August 2020 after an open revolt by a section of leaders, referred to as G-23, but the CWC had urged her to continue.

  • Will he, will he not: Congress’ Rahul dilemma

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Will he, will he not? That is the question on every Congress leader’s mind as Rahul Gandhi has still not indicated whether he is ready to take on the mantle of party presidency.

    Congress’ Central Election Authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry said the Congress Working Committee, the party’s highest decision-making body, will decide the date of the election of president and the exact schedule.

    “The list of delegates (who will vote) is ready. From our side, we are ready, it is the CWC that has to decide the date,” he told PTI.

    Most party leaders, including those known to be close to Gandhi, are unable to say with confidence whether he would give into the demands of workers and contest the party presidential poll or not.

    Sources said his stand of not taking on the mantle of party presidency was unchanged till a few days ago.

    A senior party leader said most people in the party want Rahul Gandhi to become president again but there have been no indications from him that he has changed his stance on the issue.

    A school of thought is also emerging from within the party that in case Rahul Gandhi does not agree to become president, Sonia Gandhi should continue at the helm.

    In that case she could be assisted by a couple of senior leaders in the day-to-day functioning who may be given an official role like that of working president, a senior leader said.

    There will be clarity on the issue within the next week, the leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.

    Political commentator Rasheed Kidwai said the election to party president in India is not as democratic as it seems to be and it seems to be the case across party lines.

    “In the case of the Congress, the person now elected will be the president till 2027. The second issue is that with what the Opposition has said vendetta politics taking place and Enforcement Directorate raids, party leaders feel the Gandhis cannot be left to fend for themselves. If one of them remains at helm it becomes difficult to orchestrate such actions against them,” Kidwai told PTI.

    As far as Rahul Gandhi is concerned, he has given the right kind of reasons for not accepting the post and there is also a sort of anti-dynastic mood in the nation so that makes him a “weak candidate”, said Kidwai, author of several books, including “24 Akbar Road: A Short History Of The People Behind The Fall And Rise Of The Congress”.

    Some people think that it may be best that Sonia Gandhi continues at the helm and around two-three working presidents are appointed, he said.

    Manindra Nath Thakur, an Associate Professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University’s Centre for Political Studies, said the Congress is facing a “catch 22 situation”.

    “Sonia Gandhi is on her way out, she has health issues. The problem with Rahul Gandhi is that the moment he becomes party chief he would be the target of attacks from rivals and the family does not have a trusted man like Manmohan Singh. That is the big problem facing the party,” Thakur told PTI.

    Rahul Gandhi’s graph has improved outside party presidency tenure but the Gandhi family will have to find a trusted leader but another problem is that the moment the leadership goes out of their hands it is very difficult to keep everybody united, he said.

    It seems the only option is to have Sonia Gandhi as president and some leaders to assist her, Thakur said, adding the problem with that is it would not enthuse people and bring in energy which the party needs, Thakur said.

    The Congress had announced that the election to the post of party president would be held between August 21 and September 20, but with just days to go for the process to kick in, uncertainty is writ large on the rank and file of the party as to who would assume the mantle of party president.

    If not Rahul Gandhi, then who? Party leaders and workers are also grappling with this question and prepping for a scenario in which a person from outside the Gandhi family is to be made chief.

    Speculation is rife with names such as Ashok Gehlot, Mallikarjun Kharge, Mukul Wasnik and Kumari Selja doing the rounds.

    After a crucial meeting of its working committee, the Congress had announced in October last year that the election of the new Congress president will be held between August 21 and September 20 this year.

    Rahul Gandhi had resigned as Congress president after the party suffered its second consecutive defeat in parliamentary elections in 2019.

    Sonia Gandhi who took over the reins of the party again as interim president had also offered to quit in August 2020 after an open revolt by a section of leaders, referred to as G-23, but the CWC had urged her to continue.

    There have been several calls by leaders publicly exhorting Rahul Gandhi to become party chief again but uncertainty and suspense continue to loom over the party’s presidency conundrum.

    NEW DELHI: Will he, will he not? That is the question on every Congress leader’s mind as Rahul Gandhi has still not indicated whether he is ready to take on the mantle of party presidency.

    Congress’ Central Election Authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry said the Congress Working Committee, the party’s highest decision-making body, will decide the date of the election of president and the exact schedule.

    “The list of delegates (who will vote) is ready. From our side, we are ready, it is the CWC that has to decide the date,” he told PTI.

    Most party leaders, including those known to be close to Gandhi, are unable to say with confidence whether he would give into the demands of workers and contest the party presidential poll or not.

    Sources said his stand of not taking on the mantle of party presidency was unchanged till a few days ago.

    A senior party leader said most people in the party want Rahul Gandhi to become president again but there have been no indications from him that he has changed his stance on the issue.

    A school of thought is also emerging from within the party that in case Rahul Gandhi does not agree to become president, Sonia Gandhi should continue at the helm.

    In that case she could be assisted by a couple of senior leaders in the day-to-day functioning who may be given an official role like that of working president, a senior leader said.

    There will be clarity on the issue within the next week, the leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.

    Political commentator Rasheed Kidwai said the election to party president in India is not as democratic as it seems to be and it seems to be the case across party lines.

    “In the case of the Congress, the person now elected will be the president till 2027. The second issue is that with what the Opposition has said vendetta politics taking place and Enforcement Directorate raids, party leaders feel the Gandhis cannot be left to fend for themselves. If one of them remains at helm it becomes difficult to orchestrate such actions against them,” Kidwai told PTI.

    As far as Rahul Gandhi is concerned, he has given the right kind of reasons for not accepting the post and there is also a sort of anti-dynastic mood in the nation so that makes him a “weak candidate”, said Kidwai, author of several books, including “24 Akbar Road: A Short History Of The People Behind The Fall And Rise Of The Congress”.

    Some people think that it may be best that Sonia Gandhi continues at the helm and around two-three working presidents are appointed, he said.

    Manindra Nath Thakur, an Associate Professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University’s Centre for Political Studies, said the Congress is facing a “catch 22 situation”.

    “Sonia Gandhi is on her way out, she has health issues. The problem with Rahul Gandhi is that the moment he becomes party chief he would be the target of attacks from rivals and the family does not have a trusted man like Manmohan Singh. That is the big problem facing the party,” Thakur told PTI.

    Rahul Gandhi’s graph has improved outside party presidency tenure but the Gandhi family will have to find a trusted leader but another problem is that the moment the leadership goes out of their hands it is very difficult to keep everybody united, he said.

    It seems the only option is to have Sonia Gandhi as president and some leaders to assist her, Thakur said, adding the problem with that is it would not enthuse people and bring in energy which the party needs, Thakur said.

    The Congress had announced that the election to the post of party president would be held between August 21 and September 20, but with just days to go for the process to kick in, uncertainty is writ large on the rank and file of the party as to who would assume the mantle of party president.

    If not Rahul Gandhi, then who? Party leaders and workers are also grappling with this question and prepping for a scenario in which a person from outside the Gandhi family is to be made chief.

    Speculation is rife with names such as Ashok Gehlot, Mallikarjun Kharge, Mukul Wasnik and Kumari Selja doing the rounds.

    After a crucial meeting of its working committee, the Congress had announced in October last year that the election of the new Congress president will be held between August 21 and September 20 this year.

    Rahul Gandhi had resigned as Congress president after the party suffered its second consecutive defeat in parliamentary elections in 2019.

    Sonia Gandhi who took over the reins of the party again as interim president had also offered to quit in August 2020 after an open revolt by a section of leaders, referred to as G-23, but the CWC had urged her to continue.

    There have been several calls by leaders publicly exhorting Rahul Gandhi to become party chief again but uncertainty and suspense continue to loom over the party’s presidency conundrum.

  • Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Cong slams PM Modi for not removing Union minister despite son’s arrest

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Saturday said the “brutal” mowing down of farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri was a manifestation of the government’s continuing “arrogance” and slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not removing the Union minister whose son has been arrested in connection with the incident.

    The Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party’s highest decision-making body, in a resolution alleged that the last seven years have witnessed a “diabolical design” to attack the livelihood of ‘annadatas’ and landless farm labourers.

    Referring to the October 3 Lakhimpur Kheri violence in which eight people died, four of them farmers allegedly knocked down by a vehicle carrying BJP workers, the CWC said that “the brutal mowing down of farmers is a manifestation of the continuing arrogance”.

    “This incident was preceded by the Union minister (of state) for home affairs, himself an accused in a case of murder in which the high court has reserved judgment for 43 months, publicly threatening the farmers with dire consequences, while flaunting his own dubious antecedents,” the Congress said.

    Despite his son having been accused and arrested under relentless public pressure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi “shamelessly” refuses to remove Ajay Mishra as Union minister of state for home affairs, it said.

    On October 3, after the four farmers were knocked down, infuriated people then allegedly lynched some people in the vehicles.

    The other dead included two BJP workers and their driver.

    In the incident, a journalist was also killed.

    Farmers claimed that Union Minister Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra was in one of the vehicles, an allegation denied by him and his father who say they can produce evidence to prove he was at an event at that time.

    Ashish Mishra ‘Monu’ was arrested in the case on October 9 after 12 hours of questioning, and a court has accepted his police custody from October 12 to October 15.

    In its resolution, the Congress said it is committed to the repeal of the three farm laws and ensuring a just and fair minimum support price mechanism for India’s farmers as well as justice for landless farm labourers.

    “We reiterate our continued resolve to fight this battle alongside farmers and farm labourers to defeat the Modi government’s deliberate attack on India’s ‘annadatas’,” the CWC said.

    The party alleged that the “attack” on farmers began with a sinister design to deny the land acquisition compensation guaranteed by the Congress led-UPA through an Act of Parliament.

    This was followed by a refusal to provide any form of relief from agricultural indebtedness, a dilution of the norms for crop compensation and the framing of a convoluted crop insurance scheme which singularly benefitted select insurance companies instead of the suffering farmers, the resolution said.

    Agriculture was subjected to unjustifiable levels of taxation by imposing Goods and Services Tax (GST) on fertiliser (five per cent), pesticides (18 per cent) and tractors and agricultural equipment (12 per cent-18 per cent), it said.

    Meanwhile, fertilizer, seed and pesticide prices skyrocketed, the resolution pointed out.

    This was compounded by astronomical increase in diesel prices that are touching an unprecedented Rs 100 per litre and have even surpassed the Rs 100 per litre mark in several cities across the country, the resolution said.

    All these retrograde and outright anti-farmer measures, including excessive taxation by the Modi government, have placed an additional burden of Rs. 20,000-25,000 per hectare on agriculture, it claimed.

    “The plight of India’s farmers can be gauged from the NSSO report, which highlights that the average income per day of the small and marginal farmer is a pittance of Rs 26.67/ day. And the average debt is Rs 72,000 per farmer. The average income per day is way below even the minimum daily wage for labour,” the resolution stated.

    For over ten and a half months, lakhs of farmers have been protesting peacefully on Delhi’s borders, blocked by spikes and boulders on the national highway from advancing further, it said.

    The CWC also noted the “courage and consistency” with which Rahul Gandhi has fought for the cause of farmers and the “resilience” of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in fighting the onslaught on farmers in Uttar Pradesh.

    In another resolution on the political situation in the country, the CWC said the tragic incident at Lakhimpur Kheri is a clear example of official support to the attempt to suppress the voice of the farmers.

    The refusal of the prime minister to condemn the brutal murder of the farmers and to sack the minister of state for home affairs have shocked the conscience of the country, it said.