NEW DELHI : With Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi expected to return from his sabbatical next month, the stage seems set for his elevation to the post of party president, a demand that has been time and again raised from several quarters of the party.
Party sources said Mr Gandhi, who is on leave from party work to introspect on the recent events and the future course of the party, will be faced with the demands from party workers and senior party leaders to assume the mantle of Congress president.
The Congress on March 26 had announced its schedule for the organisational elections, that will culminate with the election of party president from July 16 to 31. In the stage four of the organisational polls election of PCC president, vice-president, treasurer, PCC executives, AICC members by the PCC general body and also the election to Congress president will be held from July 26 to 31. Calls for Mr Gandhi being made party president are likely to regain momentum after Mr Gandhi’s return from his sabbatical.
In fact, several party leaders have been calling for Mr Gandhi to take over the mantle as party president at the earliest in order to help revive the fortune of the party which has been facing a series of debacles, beginning with the Lok Sabha polls followed by the party’s poor show in the Assembly polls in Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi.
In fact, talks of Mr Gandhi being made the party president have been going on for quite some time with senior Congress leaders Digvijay Singh and Kamal Nath saying that party president Sonia Gandhi should hand over the mantle to Mr Gandhi.
In a recent interview to a TV channel, Mr Nath, making a pitch for Mr Gandhi’s elevation to the post of party president said having two power centres (Sonia and Rahul) was hurting the party.
“There won’t be any confusion if there will be single stop solution in the party,”he said. “When I go to Sonia with a problem, she says please go to Rahul Gandhi. When I go to Rahul Gandhi, he says the Congress president will resolve (the issue). We need to give Rahul full charge. Let him form his own team. We will soon find out if he can even do the job or not,”Mr Nath said.
There had been increasing speculation that Mr Gandhi could be anointed any time as the Congress President but his going on leave just on the eve of the commencement of the budget session last month had raised questions over his future plans.
However, senior leaders say that after his sabbatical, Mr Gandhi is likely to come up with new ideas for the revival of the party.
They say, Mr Gandhi could give useful inputs at the forthcoming AICC session, the dates for which are yet to be announced.
Earlier, Ms Gandhi had also defended her son on the sabbatical issue. When she was asked whether Mr Gandhi will replace her as party president she said, “When it is decided, will let everyone know”.
Party sources say that Mr Gandhi could return from his sabbatical after April 10.
Even though he is yet to be formally made the party president, party sources say that a recent organisational change in the party bear the stamp of Mr Gandhi. Appointments of Ashok Chavan as new president for Maharashtra, Sanjay Nirupum as party chief for Mumbai city, naming of Ghulam Ahmed Mir as party president for Jammu and Kashmir, Bharatsinh Solanki and Ajay maken as party presidents for Gujarat and Delhi and Uttam Reddy as party president for Telangana bear Mr Gandhi’s stamp. The reshuffle of the Congress media department, with appointment of Randeep Surjewala as AICC media in charge and appointment of new spokespersons and media panellists also bear the stamp of the Congress vice-president. Mr Gandhi was made the Congress vice-president in January 2013 at the ‘Chintan Shivir’ — a meeting of the Congress Working Committee in Jaipur which was ratified by the AICC meeting the next day.
The same process could be followed if it was decided to make him the party chief and the organisational elections would not come in the way, say some leaders. The Congress on March 26 had announced its schedule for the organisational elections, that are to culminate with the election of party president, from July 16 to 31. According to AICC General Secretary Janardhan Dwivedi, in the first stage of the organisation poll, enrolment of members for the elections will close on May 15 and the final list of members, as well as eligible contestants, will be published on July 5.
Election to the president, executives of the primary committees and clock members by primary committees will be held from July 10 to 15.
In stage two, election of the president, vice-president, treasurer and executive committee of the block Congress committee and election of six members of DCC and one member of PCC by the block Congress committee will be held from July 16 to 20.
In the stage three, election to the president, vice-president, treasurer and executive committee of the DCC will be held from July 20 to 25.
In the stage four, election of PCC president, vice-president, treasurer and PCC executives and AICC members by the PCC general body and also the election to Congress president will be held from July 26 to 31. The last stage will be the election of CWC members by AICC members, during the plenary session of the party, which will be decided later.
Elections will include all those who joined the party during the membership campaign, which will continue till May 15.
(AGENCIES)
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