NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, AUG 28
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Sunday approved the schedule to elect the party’s president. The election for the party’s chief post will be held on October 17. The counting will be done on October 19.
LIVE: Congress party briefing by Shri Madhusudan Mistry, Shri @kcvenugopalmp and Shri @Jairam_Ramesh at AICC HQ. https://t.co/eDZThCvpug
— Congress (@INCIndia) August 28, 2022
“Those you want to be the Congress president can file nominations. We are the only party to have such democratic exercise,” Jairam Ramesh said in a press conference.
The schedule for the presidential election of the Indian National Congress President was approved in the CWC meeting today. pic.twitter.com/aoMDXBBQEJ
— Congress (@INCIndia) August 28, 2022
The virtual meeting was attended by interim chief Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh also attended the meeting.
3500 kms, 12 states, millions of voices, one aim – unite India, save India.
Let's walk together at #BharatJodoYatra from Sept 7th for a better tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/cuDM4fdvdm
— Congress (@INCIndia) August 28, 2022
Rahul Gandhi resigned as Congress president following the party’s second consecutive defeat in Lok Sabha elections in 2019. Sonia Gandhi then took over as interim president had also offered to quit in August 2020 after an open rebellion by G-23 leaders, but the CWC had urged her to continue.
Several Congress leaders, including Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, have publicly exhorted Rahul Gandhi to return as the party president. However, the suspense continues on the issue.
The meeting comes two days after the resignation of senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and his letter to Sonia Gandhi where he slammed Rahul Gandhi for “demolishing the party’s entire consultative mechanism”.
In the past few months, Congress has witnessed some high-profile exits, including that of Ashwani Kumar, Capt Amarinder Singh, RPN Singh and Kapil Sibal.