Congress prepares to elect a new chief; Gandhis, the rebels gather today: 10 points


Signs of a thaw have emerged as Congress seeks to elect a new chief. (Archive)

New Delhi:
The head of Congress, Sonia Gandhi, will mark a series of meetings today, to be held over the next 10 days, with senior party leaders to elect the next president, chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said on Friday, emphasizing that the leaders of “99.9 percent” are in favor of Rahul Gandhi’s return to the top position. A core group of rebel leaders, who wrote a letter in August signaling a leadership change and calling for radical organizational changes, will also raise their concerns with Sonia Gandhi, sources say. Rajasthan’s Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is one of the loyalists likely to be present at today’s meeting.

Here’s your ten-point cheat sheet on this great story:

  1. Rahul Gandhi is likely to be present at the meeting of the head of Congress, Sonia Gandhi, with the “rebels” nicknamed the “G-23”, sources say.

  2. The encounter with the rebels is a step towards reconciliation after months of infighting. Twenty-three leaders had signed the Aug. 23 letter, but not all meet with the head of Congress. A core group of five or six leaders is likely to represent the broader concerns.

  3. “We are a family and we will fix it,” congressional spokesman Randeep Surjewala said Friday. “The party will soon begin the procedure to elect a new party chairman. A congressional electoral college, AICC (All India Congress Committee) members, congressional workers and members will choose who is the most suitable,” he added.

  4. “It is my belief and (the) belief of 99.99 percent of the leaders – an overwhelming majority – that Rahul Gandhi is the right person to lead the party and stand up to the Modi government,” Surjewala said.

  5. In a surprising act of defiance, 23 top congressional leaders in August voiced concern over the party’s downfall since it lost power in 2014 and called for “active and visible leadership.”

  6. Congressional veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad was among some of the “dissidents” who were snubbed when they sought a date with Sonia Gandhi. Instead, Azad and another letter writer, Mukul Wasnik, faced virtual ambush at an online congressional meeting, in the presence of the Gandhis.

  7. Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath reportedly played a major role in getting Sonia Gandhi to agree to the meeting. Kamal Nath, who lost power in Madhya Pradesh in March following the defection of main leader Jyotiraditya Scindia to the BJP, had so far kept a distance from dissidents. Sources say he has now backed their cause.

  8. After Rahul Gandhi resigned as party chief last year due to the debacle of the 2019 national elections, Congress lost two states: Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. Trouble erupted in Rajasthan earlier this year after an annoyed Sachin pilot headed to the camp in Delhi; met with Gandhi to re-settle the differences with Ashok Gehlot.

  9. The dismal performance in the Bihar elections last month sparked a new outbreak within the party. Kapil Sibal, one of the letter writers, issued a strong blow to the leaders, saying that “the time for introspection is over.”

  10. After him, other party leaders like P Chidambaram also called for a “comprehensive review” and suggested that the party needed to strengthen its core.

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