The timing of Sonia Gandhi’s outreach to the so-called Group of 23 or G23 who wrote to her seeking an overhaul of the party’s leadership cannot be missed. Sources say that paying heed to senior leader Kamal Nath and few others who advised her to meet the ‘rebels’, the Congress interim president will finally do so this weekend.
But there is a likely trade off she may expect. This meeting comes close to the Congress Working Committee meeting called by her. The CWC will approve the schedule for the party president’s elections. Sources say the problem is that Rahul Gandhi remains reluctant to become the party president once again.
But a group of party leaders have been meeting him, urging him not to say no. They point out that a non-Gandhi as president would not be able to keep the party together, and that only the Gandhis continue to enjoy a pan-India appeal and presence. But Rahul Gandhi’s argument is that he needn’t be the president to work for the party.
So what trade-off could Sonia Gandhi be hoping for when she meets the ‘dissenters’? While none of them have spoken against the Gandhis, or against Rahul Gandhi becoming party president again, they have expressed a desire for relevance and say in the party’s working. They also want the CWC, the highest decision-making body of the Congress, to be elected instead of being chosen. Sonia may give this assurance, but she would expect some sort of a statement from them reiterating their support to the Gandhis and the party.
At a time when the Congress is facing electoral setbacks, it’s important for it to appear united. But the biggest challenge for Sonia Gandhi and many top leaders is to convince Rahul Gandhi that it’s not the time to say no to the top job. All eyes are on whether the CWC will be elected. The convention has been that the party president chooses the CWC members. This was questioned by the Group of 23 in their letter. They pointed out that if the Congress wants to be truly democratic, then even the CWC members must be elected.
It’s easier said than done. First, there is no such compulsion on the party leadership. Second, the party president feels comfortable with choosing their own team members and usually the CWC composition keeps in mind the political balance.
Amid all this confusion there is a possibility that organization elections may be delayed and could even stretch to March-April. The drift may not be arrested anytime soon in the Congress and clearly time is running out.
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