Congress President Polls Between Aug 21 and Sept 20 Next Year; Rahul Gandhi to 'Consider' Becoming Chief

The Congress Working Committee (CWC), which met on Saturday amid an intense power struggle within its own ranks, passed three important resolutions in an attempt to tidy up the mess and maintain its political relevance – to address the ongoing political situation, to continue raising their voice on the current agrarian distress and to target the government on the price rise in the country.

Sources told CNN-News18 that Rahul Gandhi, whose abrupt stepping down as the Congress President after the 2019 Lok Sabha poll debacle became the flashpoint for several of the party’s current issues, has assured party workers that he will consider their demand of taking over the post again. Despite several Congress units passing resolutions asking Rahul to take over as party chief again, the Gandhi scion has always struck the request. Addressing a press briefing after nearly five-hour-long CWC meeting, party general secretary (oganisation) KC Venugopal said election of Congress president will be held between August 21 and September 20 in 2022.

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The CWC meeting was held today to discuss important agendas, organisational elections and the upcoming state assembly polls. Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, three Congress chief ministers, among others, attended the meeting, the first such physical meet of the CWC since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Stating that the CWC was “distressed” about the current political situation in the country, Venugopal said, “Almost after 18 months, a CWC physical meeting has happened. Current political situation, forthcoming election and Congress party internal elections were discussed. Three resolutions have been passed on political, agricultural and price rise issues.”

The CWC has discussed organisational elections in details and enrolment drive for the same will start from November 1 and will end on March 31 next year. “A preliminary list will be announced for the candidates from April 1 to April 15 in 2022. Election of PCC presidents, vice presidents, treasurers, PCC executives and AICC members by PCC general body will be held between July 21-August 20, 2022. Election of Congress president will be held between August 21-September 20, 2022,” Venugopal said.

He further said that a massive training program will take place for the Congress workers who will be trained about dismantling “propaganda”. “We are going for a massive training program from top to bottom. Workers and leaders at all levels will be trained in party ideologies, policies, expectations of a Congress worker, grassroots messaging, election management, failure of present government and countering propaganda,” the Congress leader said.

“By November 14-29, a massive ‘Jan Jagran’ programme will be launched where workers will reach out to people and tell them about the current situation of economy and it’s bad management,” he added.

Speaking on the months-long ongoing farmers protest and questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence over Lakhimpur Kheri violence incident, Venugopal said, “Farmers protest has entered 10 months and the BJP and its proxies have been trying to discredit them. We saw what happened in Lakhimpur Kheri which is a clear example of the atrocities unleashed by the BJP on farmers whereas Prime Minister Modi has not said a word about it.”

Talking about country’s economy, he said, “The country’s economy is in terrible shape. Taxes are being imposed on people to keep the economy afloat. The government has gone on a spree of selling businesses. Every aspect of a democracy has been diminished under the current dispensation.”

Another Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala, who was also present in the briefing at the AICC headquarters here, said, “Everyone in the CWC said that they all believe in the leadership of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and they have asked Sonia Gandhi to remain the President till the next election.”

Launching an attack on the Prime Minister over country’s issues with China, Surjewala said, “The CWC raised concerns on the current security situation. Its been almost an year since China invaded and has not left completely and PM Modi doesn’t even want to say a word on China.”

Referring to seizure of drugs at Mundra Port in Gujarat, Surjewala said, “Big drug smugglers are not only operating but also gaining profits. Before the drug bust at Adani port, we came to know that 25,000 kg heroin has been pushed in the Indian markets.”

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