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The Congress party has announced that elections for its president will be held on October 17 with the winner being declared two days later, asserting that it is the only party in the country which undertakes such a democratic exercise.
As per PTI report, The party, which last held the election for the post in November 2000, has often faced criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party over dynastic politics due to the control of the Gandhi family over its affairs. Sonia Gandhi is the longest service party president and has been at the helm since 1998 barring a two-year period between 2017-19 when Rahul Gandhi took over.
The notification for the election will be issued on September 22, while the filing of nomination would begin on September 24 and continue till September 30, the party’s central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry told reporters after a nearly 30-minute meeting of the CWC.
The date of scrutiny of the nomination papers would be October 1, while the last date of withdrawal of nominations would be October 8.
The election, if there is more than one candidate, will take place on October 17, while counting of votes, if necessary, and the counting of votes and the declaration of results would be on October 19, Mistry said.
“The election schedule that was put forward by Mistry, all CWC members unanimously approved it without raising any questions or demanding an extension of dates,” the party’s General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said.
The Congress had announced in October last year that the election of the new party president will be held between August 21 and September 20 this year.
Meanwhile clamour for Rahul Gandhi to be back as president has begun, Leader of Congress in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has said that Rahul Gandhi should take the lead of the Congress party since he has the ability to lift the party from the crisis.
Speaking to ANI, Kharge said, “Today the whole situation has become clear regarding the election of Congress party president. I have my personal opinion and it is the feeling of all the workers that Rahul Gandhi should take the lead of the Congress party at this time. He should become the president of the Congress party.”
“Rahul Gandhi is the only one who can lift the Congress. He can unify and strengthen the party. Only he has the ability to assemble people even in the Bharat Jodo programme,” added the veteran leader.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s name is doing the rounds to become president too.
