Indian National Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s first major attempt at the internal change since taking over as the president of the part is facing resistance from the senor party members.
After taking the charges as the president of the part in December, the 47-year-old has made it clear his intentions about holding elections in 12 positions in the party’s highest decision making body, CWC. But, the president seems got no proper response from the veterans of the party.
Sonia Gandhi, the mother of Rahul Gandhi used to nominate all the members of the CWC during her 19 years as the party chief, though the rule-book prescribes elections.
According to the Congress constitution, 10 members of the CWC are to be elected by delegates and the party president can nominate another 10. However, the committee must have at least 20 members including more as the permanent invitees.
Sources say that the Congress’ senior leaders argue that the electiosn were being in the party in 1992 and 1997, when leaders were not ready to take the leadership of the chiefs like PV Narasimha Rao and Sitaram Kesari and they are the same who forced them an election as the show of the strength.
The senior leaders say that Rahul Gandhi should have a free hand to choose the members to head the party’s highest forum in the party.
The Congress party is also bringing in a constitutional change now. This is to bring a fresh face by introducing a clause to have more young and new faces in every party structure from the Congress Working Committee downwards.
The Congress president is keen on recharging the old party in his own way and has favored the elections for all of the party organizations he directly can handle as the vice president of the Congress party, just like the students’ wing NSUI, and the Youth Congress. There will be an election process that was followed when he became party president, but it was mocked badly by the critics as a “sham” as there were no real challengers.
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