Congress 'unanimously' defers party chief's election after poll drubbing; sets next date

Nearly nine months after the public breakout of the brewing dissent against the Gandhi-Vadra family at its helm, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) yet again deferred polls for the Congress President on Monday, for the third (or possibly nth) time, thereby allowing Sonia Gandhi to continue as the interim party chief. The CWC which huddled up virtually on Monday to discuss the drubbing faced in recent assembly elections 'unanimously' decided to postpone elections for the party president citing the prevailing COVID-19 situation in the country.

The party president post has been vacant now since 2019 after Rahul Gandhi's resignation following Congress' humiliating defeat in the 2019 General Elections. Addressing a press conference later in the day, AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal said that the party unanimously has adopted a resolution to defer the elections to early September. 

Sonia Gandhi continues as interim chief

After the rebellion led by the G-23 leaders in August last year, the CWC passed 5 resolutions, including an affirmation to conduct elections for the top post as soon as possible. Later, reports suggested that the CWC had resolved to conduct internal polls by February but eventually decided to postpone it until after the five Assembly Elections. Now, despite the dismal show in the elections - including West Bengal, where the party has failed to bag even a single seat - the CWC once again has deferred internal elections with Sonia Gandhi clinging onto the top post. The party has been facing unprecedented heat from the G-23 rebels which include the likes of veteran leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and Kapil Sibal, that have voiced concerns to strengthen democracy within the party. 

The Congress had earlier decided to have a new Congress president in place before June 2021 and the party's central election authority chaired by Madhusudan Mistry had proposed holding the election on June 23. As per PTI sources, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot had proposed to defer the elections in the CWC meeting on Monday and his proposition was seconded by Ghulam Nabi Azad. Azad, a prominent member of the group of 23 leaders who had demanded organisational elections, said at the meeting that no one in the party was seeking an election right now and thus the election as proposed by the central election authority should be postponed, sources said.

In the CWC meeting on Monday, interim president Sonia Gandhi said that the party needs to take note of its serious setbacks in the Assembly Polls and face the reality of its 'house in order'. Even as it entered a grand 'Mahajot' alliance with BPF, AGM, AIUDF, API, CPI(M), RJD, and JPP this year, the party managed to solely secure only 29 seats in Assam whereas in Bengal it failed to even open an account. 

"These will yield uncomfortable lessons, but if we do not face up to the reality, if we do not look the facts in the face, we will not draw the right lessons," Gandhi said.

On another front, while the meeting was convened to review Congress' performance in the polls, Gandhi in her opening remarks criticized the Centre for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Listing down areas of failure, Gandhi in her opening remarks at the CWC meeting remarked that the 'public health system across the country has all but collapsed'. Taking a dig at the Central Vista project, Gandhi said, "But we know the Modi government has other priorities, pursuing grandiose projects against the force of public opinion and the face of widespread criticism. It is also a shame that the Central government continues to discriminate against Opposition-ruled states."