Kharge rejigs CWC: Shashi Tharoor, Sachin Pilot inducted as new members
This decision comes eight months ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and was taken at the 85th Plenary Session of the Indian National Congress.
In a major reshuffle in the Congress Working Committee (CWC), party president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday appointed leaders Shashi Tharoor and Sachin Pilot as members among 28 others, as part of the committee that will go on to make key decisions for the party.
This decision comes eight months ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and was taken at the 85th Plenary Session of the Indian National Congress that was held in Raipur, Chhattisgarh from February 24-26.
It is pertinent here to note that Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh had cleared out in the plenary sessions that the grand old party had unanimously taken the decision to not hold elections for the CWC and that the appointments would solely be taken up by president Kharge.
The Congress constitution says that out of the 24 CWC members, 12 will come through election. But the election process has usually been overlooked, as a strong nomination culture prevailed in the party. In the past two years, the now-defunct G23 had demanded elections in two key bodies—CWC and the Central Election Committee that decides candidates for assembly and Lok Sabha polls.
On January 23, HT had written that Congress leaders are not in favour of election in the two bodies.
Party leaders indicated that leaders in favour of nomination argued that if elections take place, it would be nearly impossible to implement the proposed 50% quota, a key policy to make the party’s highest executive body more inclusive. Ramesh announced it will come through amendments in party constitution.
In the list of the Congress Working Committee. Jitendra Singh, Sachin Pilot, Mahendra Jit Singh Malviya have been appointed as CWC members from Rajasthan.
On the other hand, Harish Chaudhary, being in-charge of Punjab, has also been appointed as CWC member. The list includes Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor, Naseer Hussain, Alka Lamba, Supriya Shrinate, Praniti Shinde, Pawan Kheda, Ganesh Godial, Yashomati Thakur.