Under pressure for internal elections. A new Congress president will be elected in June after five state elections. This was decided at a party meeting after an argument between two groups, during which Rahul Gandhi reportedly said: "Once and for all, finish it and move on." The Congress Working Committee (CWC) has decided that there will be a new elected Congress president in June 2021. At the CWC meeting, senior leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma, Mukul Wasnik and P Chidambaram reportedly asked for immediate organisational polls. They are among the Congress leaders who have raised uncomfortable questions over the party's leadership and management in recent months after multiple election defeats. Ranged against them were the so-called Gandhi loyalists -- Ashok Gehlot, Amarinder Singh, AK Antony, Tariq Anwar and Oommen Chandy, who said the Congress president's election should be held after polls in five states including Bengal and Tamil Nadu. One leader commented: "Whose agenda are we working towards? The BJP doesn't talk about internal elections like our party? The first priority is to fight the state elections then organisational elections."
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Friday witnessed some heated exchange of words among Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, senior leader Anand Sharma and several other dissenters over internal elections, party sources said.
According to a party source, Sharma, Ghulam Nabi Azad and P. Chidambaram raised the issue of the elections for the CWC post.
Following the issue of the elections, Gehlot ticked off the dissenters without naming them and said that a few party leaders keep on demanding for the organisational elections instead of discussing how to deal with the BJP.
The source also said that the Rajasthan Chief Minister has stated that party leaders are wasting time discussing irrelevant issues like party elections.
“We should leave the matters and decisions to the party’s president,” Gehlot said.
He also questioned the party leaders: “Do you believe the party leadership (Sonia Gandhi) or not?”.
Gehlot was backed by senior party leader Ambika Soni, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, Tariq Anwar and former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
Hitting back at Gehlot, Sharma said that few members of the party keep on disrespecting the senior leaders.
Following the ugly verbal spat among the senior leaders, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi intervened to placate both the groups.
However, party leaders at a press conference maintained that there was no such verbal war in the CWC, which is the highest decision making body of the party.
After the CWC meet, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K. C. Venugopal said that the party will have an elected president by June this year at any cost.
“The CWC discussed the schedule of Congress president’s elections in May-end, proposed by its election authority. All CWC members unanimously requested Congress president that the internal elections should not interfere with the Assembly polls,” Venugopal said.
Congress national media in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said “don’t get misguided and don’t fall for rumours”.
“The leaders whose names have been taken are not dissenters — they are our respected leaders and they are our family members. And we all were unanimous that the party election schedule be postponed for a month,” Surjewala said at a press briefing after the meeting.
Responding to the question of senior leaders sparring over the organisational election issue, Venugopal said, “There was no big debate in the CWC. We will conduct party election as per its constitution. And the schedule will be out very soon.”
“Some change in schedule was required due to coming Assembly elections (in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam, West Bengal, and Puducherry) and that was taken into consideration; the party will announce the election schedule accordingly,” he said.
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) passed three resolutions, including a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe over the alleged chat leak endangering the national security.
A resolution demanding withdrawal of three farm laws was also passed while the CWC also appreciated the scientist and appealed to the people to come forward for the Covid vaccination.
The virtual CWC meeting chaired by Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi was attended by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former party chief Rahul Gandhi and several other senior leaders.
Addressing the media after the CWC, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K. C. Venugopal said, “The CWC expressed its concern at the recent revelations exposing in the sordid conversations that have undoubtedly compromised national security. It is clear that among those involved are persons in the highest echelons of government and there has been a breach of secrecy concerning vital and sensitive military operations.”
The CWC also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the central government silence on the issue.
“The CWC demands a time-bound investigation by a JPC to enquire into the breach of national security, violations of the official secrets act and the role of the persons involved,” he said.
Talking about the three farm laws, Venugopal said, “The CWC noted that these three laws impinge upon the Constitutional rights of states and constitute the first step in dismantling the three pillars of the edifice of food security built up over the past decades — MSP, public procurement and the PDS.”
He reiterated that the three farm laws did not pass the Parliamentary scrutiny as they were bulldozed by muzzling the voice of the Opposition, particularly in the Upper house.
He said that these laws, when implemented, will affect every person of the country as pricing of all food products would be at the mercy of a handful of people.
“There is only one demand of farmers and farm labourers — repeal the farm laws. “But the government continues to side step, malign, deceive and hoodwink the farmers by attempting to tire out, intimidate and divide the farmers,” he said.
“The CWC demands the Modi government to forthwith repeal the three farm laws,” Venugopal said.
“We have decided to hold block level programmes throughout the country before February 10, followed by a district level agitation and convention before February 28. There will be a massive convention before February 28 at state level to show solidarity with the farmers,” he added.
Venugopal also said that during the Parliament’s Budget session that is scheduled to start from January 29, the Congress along with the opposition parties will stand against these anti-farm laws and will put pressure on the government to repeal these three laws.
Speaking about the final resolution on the Covid vaccine, the Congress leader said, “The CWC places on record the appreciation of scientists, researchers, who worked tirelessly to develop the Covid-19 vaccine in a record time.”
He said that the CWC also noted with concern that there is a complete lack of “clarity” about availability of the vaccine for citizens as there is no timeline by the government for vaccination beyond the first three crore people.
The CWC also demanded that the Covid vaccine should be provided for free to the disadvantaged, marginalised poor sections particularly the SC, ST and the OBC within a time bound manner.
He further said that the CWC also expressed its dismay over the reports that vaccine may be sold in open market for Rs 2,000 for two dosages per individual.
He said, “Such profiteering in times of grave adversity simply cannot be permitted and the government needs to explicitly declare a clear policy in this regard.”
He further said that the CWC also urged the government to take all steps necessary to overcome the hesitancy of the front-line health workers on Covid vaccination.
The CWC also demanded that the state government should be given the option of laying out a state-specific order of beneficiaries so that the vaccination programme is taken forward with utmost speed and efficiency.
“The CWC appeals to the people to come forward without any hesitation and avail the vaccination,” Rajasthan MP said. (IANS)