Ahead of plenary session, doubts emerge over Congress Working Committee elections

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: A day after Congress veteran P Chidambaram spoke in regards to the want for holding elections to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and resolving the present points in regards to the electoral school, a piece of senior Congress leaders additionally raised considerations over ‘free and truthful election to the Working Committee if the social gathering determine to carry polls in the course of the plenary session. 

The 3-day plenary session of Congress is scheduled to happen from February 24-26 in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. Echoing Chidambaram’s view, a number of senior Congress leaders mentioned that even when the social gathering decides to conduct an election to the Working committee, will probably be a compromised one because the AICC members are nominated by the High Command. The AICC members type the electoral school, which elects the 12 members to the CWC, the highest decision-making physique of the social gathering.

Chidambaram was one of many first to come back out urging the social gathering to carry  CWC elections, urging the social gathering to induct younger members within the CWC. He had additionally urged that the problems in regards to the energy of the electoral school that may elect the CWC should be resolved by the election fee of the social gathering. Elections to the CWC haven’t taken place since 1997.

The outgoing Steering Committee of the social gathering will determine on February 24 whether or not there can be elections for the CWC this time. According to the structure of the social gathering, the working committee shall include the president of the Congress, the Leader of the Congress Party in Parliament, and 23 different members of whom 12 members can be elected by the AICC, and the remainder shall be appointed by the president. The social gathering had mentioned that 1,338 elected AICC delegates will take part within the plenary session. 

Only elected AICC delegates can vote within the CWC election, if it takes place, in keeping with the Constitution of the social gathering. The social gathering was in a spot after it launched an inventory of AICC delegates from Delhi, together with former prime minister Manmohan Singh, social gathering basic secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Jagdish Tytler, whose title figured in a probe panel report on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

However, a senior chief factors out that even when the social gathering holds a CWC election, will probably be violating the social gathering Constitution because the AICC members usually are not elected in keeping with the social gathering’s structure. “None of AICC members are elected by the High command as per the Constitution. Each one of the AICC delegates has been vetted by the top leadership. It’s not a democratic process. It’s a farce just like Congress chief elections,” he mentioned, on situation of anonymity.

In September final yr, the AICC Central Election Committee headed by Madhusudan Mistry had requested all PCC delegates to move resolutions authorizing the Congress Chief to appoint PCC chiefs and AICC delegates. “It will be a name-sake election just like the way they conducted Congress President election,” mentioned one other chief who was a part of the now non-existent G-23 group which fought for reforms. 

While a number of leaders who spoke to this newspaper are in favor of conducting the CWC polls, they’re apprehensive in regards to the high brass shifting in that route. Another senior MP says that if the elections are held, it is going to positively spring some surprises.

“The coterie in the Congress won’t let it happen. They know that stronger leaders will emerge to challenge the leadership. We have seen what happened in 1992 and 1997 after the CWC polls,” mentioned the chief. In 1992, then Congress President P V Narasimha Rao made your complete CWC resign after the elections and reconstituted the committee. “Rao made them resign as he didn’t want his political rivals who emerged as winners in the elections,” mentioned the chief.

NEW DELHI: A day after Congress veteran P Chidambaram spoke in regards to the want for holding elections to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and resolving the present points in regards to the electoral school, a piece of senior Congress leaders additionally raised considerations over ‘free and truthful election to the Working Committee if the social gathering determine to carry polls in the course of the plenary session. 

The 3-day plenary session of Congress is scheduled to happen from February 24-26 in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. Echoing Chidambaram’s view, a number of senior Congress leaders mentioned that even when the social gathering decides to conduct an election to the Working committee, will probably be a compromised one because the AICC members are nominated by the High Command. The AICC members type the electoral school, which elects the 12 members to the CWC, the highest decision-making physique of the social gathering.

Chidambaram was one of many first to come back out urging the social gathering to carry  CWC elections, urging the social gathering to induct younger members within the CWC. He had additionally urged that the problems in regards to the energy of the electoral school that may elect the CWC should be resolved by the election fee of the social gathering. Elections to the CWC haven’t taken place since 1997.

The outgoing Steering Committee of the social gathering will determine on February 24 whether or not there can be elections for the CWC this time. According to the structure of the social gathering, the working committee shall include the president of the Congress, the Leader of the Congress Party in Parliament, and 23 different members of whom 12 members can be elected by the AICC, and the remainder shall be appointed by the president. The social gathering had mentioned that 1,338 elected AICC delegates will take part within the plenary session. 

Only elected AICC delegates can vote within the CWC election, if it takes place, in keeping with the Constitution of the social gathering. The social gathering was in a spot after it launched an inventory of AICC delegates from Delhi, together with former prime minister Manmohan Singh, social gathering basic secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Jagdish Tytler, whose title figured in a probe panel report on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

However, a senior chief factors out that even when the social gathering holds a CWC election, will probably be violating the social gathering Constitution because the AICC members usually are not elected in keeping with the social gathering’s structure. “None of AICC members are elected by the High command as per the Constitution. Each one of the AICC delegates has been vetted by the top leadership. It’s not a democratic process. It’s a farce just like Congress chief elections,” he mentioned, on situation of anonymity.

In September final yr, the AICC Central Election Committee headed by Madhusudan Mistry had requested all PCC delegates to move resolutions authorizing the Congress Chief to appoint PCC chiefs and AICC delegates. “It will be a name-sake election just like the way they conducted Congress President election,” mentioned one other chief who was a part of the now non-existent G-23 group which fought for reforms. 

While a number of leaders who spoke to this newspaper are in favor of conducting the CWC polls, they’re apprehensive in regards to the high brass shifting in that route. Another senior MP says that if the elections are held, it is going to positively spring some surprises.

“The coterie in the Congress won’t let it happen. They know that stronger leaders will emerge to challenge the leadership. We have seen what happened in 1992 and 1997 after the CWC polls,” mentioned the chief. In 1992, then Congress President P V Narasimha Rao made your complete CWC resign after the elections and reconstituted the committee. “Rao made them resign as he didn’t want his political rivals who emerged as winners in the elections,” mentioned the chief.