Congress vice- president Rahul Gandhi’s elevation to the party president’s post is set to be postponed to next year, with the Congress Working Committee, the party’s apex decision-making body, meeting here on November 7 to discuss the question of seeking another year from the Election Commission to complete the organisational elections.
Alongside, sources in the Congress said the party’s response to current political issues would be discussed, and a strategy formulated ahead of the winter session of Parliament slated to commence on November 16.
The political issues will include surgical strikes, the killing of eight Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) activists in an ‘encounter’ in Madhya Pradesh, the Modi government bringing up the issue of a uniform civil code, and the attacks on the media.
Missteps on his watch Party sources said the Congress appeared to have taken a beating on the first three issues: Mr. Gandhi’s choice of words in accusing the government of khoon ki dalali in using the surgical strikes for political gains had not gone down well; on the killing of the SIMI activists, the party appeared divided, with senior leaders Digvijaya Singh and Jyotiraditya Scindia taking different positions; and similarly, the party’s stance on the uniform civil code has not been very clear.
The CWC meeting is taking place at a time when, following Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s ill health, the subject of Mr. Gandhi’s elevation had resurfaced. She took ill suddenly during a roadshow in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency of Varanasi on August 2, and had to be hospitalised afterwards.
But party sources are now saying it would be better to defer the elevation till at least next year’s polls in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab. Organisational elections in the Congress are overdue and the party has sought time from the Election Commission to complete the process by December 31. The party had informed the poll panel about it, as required under the rules — now, it plans to seek another extension.
Opinion in the party, in any case, has been divided on the issue of the timing of Mr. Gandhi’s elevation: one powerful section feels that at a time when the party’s condition is fragile, Ms. Gandhi should continue to helm it.
Others like Jairam Ramesh feel Mr. Gandhi is already the de facto Congress president and therefore should take charge of the party by becoming its de jure leader, without waiting for anti-incumbency to build up against the Modi government.
‘Play ball or get shot’ Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Congress alleged that asking NDTV India to go off air for a day is a message to the entire media to “either play ball or get shot”.
It also accused the I&B Minister of indulging in chicanery by hiding behind the recommendations of a committee.
“This is, unfortunately, the Indian media getting ‘encountered’,” Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari quipped, alleging that there are people in the ruling dispensation “who have been past masters at alleged fake encounters”.
