New Delhi: The Congress will hold the party president’s election between September 15 and October 15.
Some leaders — including Digvijay Singh and A.K. Antony — want to elevate vice-president Rahul Gandhi to the top post, but uncertainty over the issue remains. There is also a section of leaders in the party that is not in favour of his promotion yet.
Getting ready for its organisational elections, the party has asked all state units to complete their membership drive by May 15. After that, elections of office-bearers for states and the All India Congress Committee will be completed between August 21 and September 4. The composition of district committees will start on September 5 and be completed by September 15.
All eyes, however, will be on the president’s election. Though a section in the party claimed that a “call to replace Congress president Sonia Gandhi with her son has come from the family itself,” the other felt that after the party’s rout in the Uttar Pradesh elections this could be delayed yet again.
As per the Congress constitution, Mr Gandhi could be put at the helm of the party affairs “anytime the Congress wants”.
The party will have to elect members for the Congress Working Committee, its highest policy-making body. Currently there are 21 CWC members.
The Election Commission has asked the Congress to complete its internal election process by December 31.
