Kharge to nominate members of Congress’s highest decision-making body

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge was on Friday authorised to nominate members of the party’s highest decision-making body even as there were voices in favour of holding polls for it on day one of its plenary in Raipur on Friday.

Over 15,000 delegates have gathered in Raipur for the two-day plenary for discussions on the country’s political situation, economy, foreign policy, agriculture, employment, social justice, etc. The gathering is expected to set the tone for the Congress’s 2024 national poll campaign.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the party’s steering committee discussed the Congress Working Committee (CWC) elections and almost all 45 members present unanimously decided to authorise Kharge to nominate members to the panel.

He added members expressed their views both in favour and against the CWC polls. Ramesh said they are confident that all delegates will support the unanimous decision. He added 16 amendments to 32 rules and regulations of the Congress’s constitution will also be discussed at the plenary.

“All former prime ministers of the Congress party and former presidents will be given representation in the Working Committee,” he said.

Kharge earlier urged the steering committee members to freely express themselves and take a collective call. “Whatever decision you take that will be my decision and of everyone.”

Kharge said the plenary is being held when democracy and the Constitution are under threat and institutions are facing a crisis. He added political activities were under scrutiny.

The comments came a day after Congress leader Pawan Khera was pulled off a plane at the Delhi airport. Khera was detained on the tarmac and later arrested over his remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Supreme Court granted him interim protection and a lower court set him free on bail in the evening.

Kharge referred to 84 plenary sessions since 1885 and added the 85th is very special as it marks 100 years since Mahatma Gandhi was elected the Congress chief.

The 85th plenary began with the meeting of the steering committee to decide whether elections will be held for the CWC. The party is expected to lay out a roadmap for the 2024 polls and finalise the strategy for forging tie-ups at the plenary.

The plenary is being held weeks after the conclusion of the Rahul Gandhi-led Kanyakumari-to-Kashmir foot march Bharat Jodo Yatra, the party’s biggest public outreach in decades.

Kharge said the Bharat Jodo Yatra raised awareness about inflation, unemployment, and economic issues. He urged party members to maintain the enthusiasm it generated.

The steering committee approved the agenda for the plenary. Former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi as well as general secretary Priyanka Gandhi stayed away from the steering committee meeting. They were expected to arrive in Raipur later on Friday.

The 25-member CWC has traditionally had 12 elected and 11 nominated members. They include the Congress president and the leader of the party in Parliament.

A fresh push for coalition politics and Congress-led alliances, a new economic vision, and an all-encompassing reservation policy for the organisation are on the agenda of the 85th plenary.

The plenary is being held ahead of a series of assembly polls including in Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan this year.

Congress’s victory in Himachal Pradesh polls last year came after a string of defeats that triggered an exodus of leaders and raised questions about the leadership’s ability and competence.

It was expected to boost the party’s morale ahead of the assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Tripura, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Telangana, and Nagaland as well as the 2024 national polls.

The Congress has lost 37 assembly elections and has been reduced to double digits in two national elections since 2014.