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Pilot, Tharoor in CWC as Kharge rejigs leadership

The move to bring Pilot into the party’s central leadership could be part of the Congress’s strategy to avoid any war of words with Gehlot ahead of the crucial state elections….reports Asian Lite News

In a significant development, Congress leader Sachin Pilot, who has been sounding discordant notes against the party and is not known to see eye-to-eye with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, was drafted into the Congress Working Committee on Sunday.

Ahead of the Rajasthan Assembly polls, scheduled later this year, Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge brought key changes to the CWC on Sunday.

Apart from Pilot being drafted into the party’s central leadership, the likes of Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Shashi Tharoor, Jairam Ramesh, Naseer Hussain, Alka Lamba, Supriya Srinate, Praniti Shinde, Pawan Khera, Ganesh Godiyal, and Yashomati Thakur also found places in the panel.

After being drafted into the party’s central leadership, Rajasthan Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Sunday pledged to “strengthen the customs and ideology” of the party.

In a tweet on X (formerly Twitter), Pilot thanked the senior party leaders for the decision and said, “I express my gratitude to respected Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, CPP Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former President Rahul Gandhi for making me a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC). We all will strengthen the customs and ideology of the Congress and take it more strongly to the people.”

The move to bring Pilot into the party’s central leadership could be part of the Congress’s strategy to avoid any war of words with Gehlot ahead of the crucial state elections.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, CM Gehlot said the Congress would return to power by a handsome majority in the upcoming Assembly elections this year.

A meeting of Rajasthan Congress leaders was also held in the presence of the party’s state unit president Govind Singh Dotasara, CM Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot, and party’s state in charge, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa in Jaipur.

After the meeting, Gehlot told media persons, “The Congress will return with a huge mandate. The people have made up their minds to bring us back to power in Rajasthan.”

He further said the party’s poll preparations are already underway.

On August 17, the BJP announced the formation of the state’s election manifesto committee and the Rajasthan election management committee.

Lok Sabha MP Arjun Ram Meghwal was named the chairman of the BJP’s state manifesto committee, with Lal Meena, Alka Gurjar, Ravi Rajendra Singh, Subhash Maurya, Prabhu Lal Saini, and Rakhi Rathore as co-conveners.

In 2018, the Congress won 99 seats while the BJP settled at 73 seats in the 200-member house. The Congress led by Ashok Gehlot formed the government with the support of Independents and the BSP. (ANI)

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor. (File Photo: IANS)

Deeply humbled, grateful: Tharoor

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said that he is “deeply humbled and grateful to be a part” after he was included in the Congress Working Committee headed by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge.

Tharoor said he bows to the party workers who are the “lifeblood” of the party adding that without them it is impossible to accomplish anything.

“I am honoured by the decision of the Indian National Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and the Congress central leadership to make me a full-time member of the Congress Working Committee…I am deeply humbled and grateful to be a part of this major institution alongside my valued colleagues. I have to say that none of us can truly accomplish anything without the lakhs of committed party workers who are the lifeblood of the party. Today, above all, I bow to them”, MP Tharoor said.

Senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan said that he is fully dedicated to upholding the values and principles of the party adding that he accepts the responsibility with “great humility.”

“I am truly honoured and deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve as a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC). It is with great humility that I accept this responsibility and commit to working tirelessly towards the betterment of Congress Party and the nation as a whole,” Chavan said in a tweet on X.

Further, in the tweet, he added, “I am fully dedicated to upholding the values and principles of Congress Party, and to contributing to its growth and success. I look forward to working closely with fellow colleagues and the congress leadership to address the challenges that lie ahead and to chart a path towards a brighter future for our country.”

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CWC likely to give nod to elections for new party president

The G-23 sources say that they have time to prepare a strategy and push their agenda in the CWC. However, the group is in a minority in the CWC and it is unlikely that they can push anything without the approval of Sonia Gandhi…reports Saiyed Moziz Imam Zaidi

It’s official that the Congress Working Committee will be meeting on October 16 to deliberate on many issues and after demands from many quarters for elections it may give the nod to organisational polls, sources said.

The Congress has not had a regular president since the resignation of Rahul Gandhi in 2019 and from August that year Sonia Gandhi has been the party’s interim president. Congress G-23 leaders have time and again raised the issue of organizational polls in the party.

The Central Election Authority has already submitted the list of voters and has prepared digital cards for AICC members who can vote in the party’s presidential elections. However, the G-23 has demanded a fresh voters’ list which could see a face-off between loyalists and reformists within the party.

The CWC can remove or appoint a new president but a two-thirds majority is required for making changes. The working committee appointed Sonia Gandhi as President in 1998 when it removed then party chief Sitaram Kesri.

The G-23 sources say that they have time to prepare a strategy and push their agenda in the CWC. However, the group is in a minority in the CWC and it is unlikely that they can push anything without the approval of Sonia Gandhi.

The sources say that if Rahul Gandhi agrees to contest the elections, then it is unlikely there will be a contest but if he pushes any proxy then there will be a contest.

“Ghulam Nabi Azad had written a letter to Sonia Gandhi for a CWC meet but the group is in a minority and it is unlikely that they can push for any resolution of their choice,” a source said. The CWC constitution says, “The Working Committee shall consist of the President of the Congress, the Leader of the Congress Party in Parliament, and 23 other members of whom 12 members will be elected by the AICC, as per rules prescribed by the Working Committee and the rest shall be appointed by the President. The quorum for a meeting of the Working Committee shall be eight.” Meanwhile, all special invitees have been summoned as well.

Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mukul Wasnik and Anand Sharma, who were signatories to the letter written to Sonia Gandhi last year for visible and effective leadership and reforms in the party, are among the CWC members.

The G-23 leaders have recently raised the pitch in the wake of some high-profile exits from the party, noting that the issues they raised have not been dealt with so far.

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal had launched an attack on the party leadership, asking who was taking decisions in the party. He said that the demand for organisational elections has not been met even a year after the letter was written.

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