NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi’s elevation as the next president of the Indian National Congress is almost a fait accompli — what with all state units of the party (barring poll-bound Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Karnataka) adopting a one-line resolution seeking Rahul Gandhi’s appointment to that effect.
That makes a meeting of the Congress Working Committee — the highest decision-making body of the party, through which Sonia Gandhi’s elevation as Congress chief was accomplished 18 years ago, replacing Sitaram Kesari — a bit redundant, a senior Congress leader said.
“Once the majority of the elected state bodies have already passed a resolution endorsing his candidature, it can be said Rahulji has virtually been elected Congress president. Now, the formality of an AICC session is all that is left,’’ the leader added.
So too a CWC session before October 31—the cutoff date for it to be completed.
Since the process of the election (read ‘selection’) is already under way, expect no surprises there.
An AICC session — attended by delegates elected/selected by the state PCCs — will be called thereafter to “formally’’ endorse Gandhi’s elevation as the Congress president.
Since the CWC has been rendered optional, the incumbent president Sonia Gandhi is expected to call the senior leaders of the party, the likes of Motilal Vora, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge, P. Chidambaram, Ahmed Patel, to 10 Janpath for a meeting, primarily to draw up the final election schedule. That is, the timing and venue of the AICC session.
Sonia Gandhi’s confabulation with the ‘senior leadership’ of the party is likely to take place on November 14—Nehru’s birth anniversary. One of the reasons why the CWC had become a vital decision-making body in the appointment of the Congress president was because Sitaram Kesari had to be removed from the party chief’s post to facilitate Sonia Gandhi’s appointment.
The Congress constitution had to be gone through with a fine tooth comb to find a provision where an elected party chief could be removed. Kesari had won the Congress presidentship contesting against Sharad Pawar and Rajesh Pilot, and had to removed without having completed his term.
On the sidelines of the Pranab Mukherjee’s book launch, Sonia Gandhi had confirmed with an enigmatic smile that the ball has been set rolling for “what many have been asking for months.’’
On Sonia Gandhi’s role in the Congress, post Rahul’s take over, not much is being said, except that she would perhaps continue to guide the party on alliances and in management of political alliances with other parties.
However, if the history of the Congress party is looked into, it would be noticed that the ‘high command’ concept came into being when leaders like Gandhi, Nehru or even Indira, held their sway over things without being the chief.