G-23 goes into huddle ahead of election for Congress president’s post

The last time the election for the position of the Congress president was held in 2000, when senior leader Jitendra Prasada had unsuccessfully fought against Sonia Gandhi.

Mumbai: The group of dissenters within the Congress, also called the G-23, is eager to force a contest in the crucial elections for the position of the Congress president due in October. On Sunday, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) approved the schedule for the election of the next All India Congress Committee (AICC) president.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul Gandhi. (PTI)

Accordingly, the notification for the election will be issued on 22 September and the polling will take place on 17 October. In case of a contest, the votes will be counted and the results declared on 19 October. The remaining members of the G-23 are expected to meet soon in New Delhi and decide on contesting the election.

“We will see if this is a real election or a sham poll,” a G-23 member told HT seeking anonymity. “First, we will go through the voters’ list. There is no meaning (in fighting an election) if it is staged (by choosing a certain set of voters)… but the nomination culture or the yes-men culture must go,” he added.

The group of 23 dissenters, which includes former union ministers, chief ministers and incumbent MPs, had written to the party’s interim president Sonia Gandhi in 2020 calling for an extensive overhaul of the organization.

Incidentally, in the CWC, former union minister Anand Sharma, who is part of the G-23, had raised the issue of the electoral rolls and the process of elections at the lower level in the party organization. While a section of the party is pitching for senior leader Rahul Gandhi to again take over the reins of the Congress, there are chances that the first family of the Congress may choose a loyalist to stand in for them.

“Two years ago, we had written to the Congress president (Sonia Gandhi) seeking internal democracy. Hence, we welcome this decision. Internal democracy is a sign of liveliness within the party. The party has been facing a string of defeats. Due to lack of internal polls, nominated office bearers at all levels have been taking decisions,” said former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, who is also a prominent member of the group of change seekers.

Chavan has earlier said that the new president “must not be a puppet” but “one elected by Congressmen, with an elected parliamentary board, working committee and election committee to assist (him or her).” This, he added, would ensure consultative decision-making.

The G-23 member quoted earlier said that they would decide on forcing a contest based on the composition of the electoral college and the candidate who is put up by the party’s high command. He added that the group—which has now dwindled after the exits of Kapil Sibal, Jitin Prasada, Yoganand Shastri and last week, Ghulam Nabi Azad, the former leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, who left after writing a stinging letter against Rahul Gandhi—was likely to meet soon in New Delhi to decide on the strategy.

“It is important that elections must take place not just for the post of the Congress president, but to all posts. Not just the president, but the other posts lower down in the party hierarchy are also important,” the G-23 member said. “What is wrong in a contest? This is a democracy,” he asserted.

The last time the election for the position of the Congress president was held in 2000, when senior leader Jitendra Prasada had unsuccessfully fought against Sonia Gandhi. Earlier in 1997, Sitaram Kesri had trounced incumbent Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar and the late Rajesh Pilot to assume command of the Grand Old Party.