New Congress president’s term could end in 2022

The electoral college for the election of both the Congress president and the Congress Working Committee, in this case, is the All India Congress Committee, said party functionaries. They pointed out that the election to the post of the president will be a by-election because the president will just be seen to be completing the term of the Congress president who took over in 2017 for a five-year term. This was Rahul Gandhi; he resigned in 2019, and Sonia Gandhi has been interim president since. This means there is no need as per the party constitution to convene the AICC plenary, which is made up of Pradesh Congress Committee delegates.

The electorate for Congress president in the by-election are AICC delegates, pointed out two leaders who asked not to be named. “So in June, when the elections are now scheduled, the president will be elected by AICC meeting with the participation of 1500-2000 members.”

“For the Congress Working Committee election, the AICC, in either case, forms the electoral college. So it remains to be seen whether the AICC, which elects the new president for a truncated term that will last till December 22 (counting five years from when Rahul Gandhi took over) decides on electing CWC or authorising the president to constitute the body. “When Rahul Gandhi was elected the president, Ghulam Nabi Azad moved a resolution to nominate the 24-member CWC (besides the president),” said a third leader.