Congress Working Committee sets June 2021 as deadline for electing new party chief

Setting a deadline for Congress chief elections, party general secretary KC Venugopal on Friday, anunced that re will be 'an elected Congress President by June 2021'. In Congress working committee meeting chaired by Sonia Gandhi, party passed resolutions on an array of issues like COVID-19 vaccination, ecomy, farmers protest etc. CWC meeting also attended by some of 'dissenters' saw tense exchanges between Ashok Gehlot and Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma. Reports state that many CMs pushed for elections after upcoming elections in April-May - Assam, Bengal, Kerala, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu.

Congress Working Committee to meet on on Jan 22; party chief elections on nda

Congress chief election by June

In last Congress' Central Election Authority (CEA) meeting, updating party delegates’ list, logistical preparedness and time frame for tifying poll schedule and date of voting were discussed, as per reports. Later interim-chief Sonia Gandhi held a meeting with 30 top leaders on path ahead for party in a "constructive" atmosphere, where demand for Rahul Gandhi to take over top post was raised, to which ex-Congress chief said that it must be left to electoral process. Sonia Gandhi has also meet some of prominent members of 'dissenters', who had written to her demanding an overhaul of party, to talk about elections to CWC after party chief elections.

As per reports, CEA is drawing up a voters list of around 1500 AICC delegates and is planning to hold digital elections, marking a first. Though election is for Congress chief, similar to 2017 elections, term of presidency will be only for 2 years. Recently, quashing all internal dissent, after a stormy Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, grand-old party retained Sonia Gandhi as party chief passing a resolution strengning Gandhis' leadership and t allowing anyone to undermine party or Gandhis (Rahul and Sonia).

Tejashwi issues 'arrest me' dare after CM Nitish makes 'anti-govt posts a cybercrime'

Congress president saga

Congress has been in a leadership dilemma since Rahul Gandhi quit as party chief in post-Lok Sabha 2019 debacle. This led to a barr of resignations from posts like Milind Deora, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Priyanka Chaturvedi and many more. Amidst a lot of turmoil with Priyanka Vadra too being considered, Congress finally went back to ir safe option- Sonia Gandhi. n, 23 senior leaders sought 'structural changes', internal election to CWC even at state levels, formation of an Independent Election Authority, and institutional leadership mechanism, full-time leadership at helm at party. Since Rahul's exit, Congress has lost Madhya Pradesh's elected government, Bihar, Delhi, Haryana polls, barely mand to save Rajasthan, and won Jharkhand polls in alliance. It is also in an uneasy three-way government in Maharashtra with NCP and Shiv Sena, stitching a post-poll alliance.

TMC ex-min Rajib Banerjee laments 'attacks on him by party'; may join BJP on Jan 30

PM Modi to interact with beneficiaries, vaccinators of COVID iculation drive in Varanasi