Cong misses deadline to party polls

Elections for the Congress president and the state unit chiefs are being rescheduled as the deadline set by the party's central election authority for completing these polls expired on July 25.

Elections for the Congress president and the state unit chiefs are being rescheduled as the deadline set by the party's central election authority for completing these polls expired on July 25.

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Party sources said the polls have been put off as Pradesh Congress Committee chiefs had failed to complete most of the tasks assigned to them. In many states, the organisational polls have so far not even been completed at district levels.

The election of Sonia Gandhi as the Congress president for the fourth successive term and for the PCC chief are now likely to be held in August.

The Congress Working Committee will soon meet to announce the schedule for the polls, which will be a mere formality as the party is set to take a "consensus route" by unanimously electing Gandhi as its chief.

Gandhi's re-election will be ratified at the party plenary expected to be held within three months after the polls. However, the process has to be completed this year as per the deadline set by the Election Commission.