Cong starts informal talks for new party president selection
New Delhi: Senior leaders of Congress party have started informal consultation among their other leaders to build a consensus on an "interim president" of the party.
A senior Congress Working Committee member informed that within the next 10 days the name of a new president would be announced. There was serious confusion within the party that once the Congress president resigns, then whole CWC gets dissolved automatically.
Therefore, the legitimacy of calling a CWC might not be proper according to the constitution of the party. Later they came to the conclusion that once the consensus arrives on a new name, AICC general secretary in-charge of the organisation could convene an urgent CWC to appoint an interim president.
The leader also clarified that newly-nominated interim president would announce the schedule of the election of Congress president. It might take at least three months to complete the process. Once a full-time Congress president is elected through organisational poll, AICC plenary has to be convened and the election has to be ratified.
Newly-appointed interim president would appoint CWC who in turn would approve their president. There is also a question whether new president once elected can have a full tenure of five years as the party constitution has it that he or she will complete only residual term of Rahul Gandhi as he has completed only one-year tenure as Congress chief.
Recently, some of the senior Congress leaders met Congress Parliamentary Party Chairman Sonia Gandhi and enquired about the basic criteria of a new Congress president.
According to a senior party leader, Gandhi's choice would be an energetic and middle-aged person. She has also indicated that Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is not in the race as he wants to continue as CM only. It has also been clarified that senior leader Motilal Vora has not been appointed as interim president of the party.
The senior leader also hinted that the party would consult not only CWC members but also senior leaders of different states. From Friday, a group of leaders would start consultation among themselves first.
