Decision on Congress working committee likely this week

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is likely to hold a meeting with former president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday to discuss the team that will lead India’s main Opposition party into key assembly elections this year and the Lok Sabha polls in 2024, according to people aware of the matter.

The party is expected to announce a new Congress Working Committee (CWC), some new general secretaries, and some new heads of state units, or Pradesh Congress Committees (PCC).

Explained: What is CWC, the highest decision-making body of Congress

While details of the new team are still under wraps, Kharge has reached out to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for a larger role, HT has learnt. There are several new faces expected in CWC in line with the party’s aim that 50% of the members are from the Dalit and backward classes communities, and those under 50 years of age.

Priyanka Gandhi stepped down as general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh last year to make way for a new team. She told Kharge she was willing to take on any role suggested by the party high command, according to two people aware of details who spoke on condition of anonymity. What will be discussed in Thursday’s meeting is whether she will take on an existing position that gives her the ability to work in all states due to elect new assemblies, or whether a new position will be created; for instance, one called general secretary (elections).

HT reached out to Priyanka Gandhi’s office for comment but did not get a response.

”In the past, Rahul Gandhi has been against the creation of multiple power centres in the party and that could be a factor in deciding Priyanka’s role,’’ one key functionary said. As former party presidents, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will both be default members of CWC, which will have 35 members instead of 24, the person added.

According to amendments approved at the Congress plenary in Raipur earlier this year, the seats for the members will be divided into three categories: 25% for scheduled cates and tribes, 25% for OBCs and minorities, and 50% for the general category, to make the party’s highest executive body more inclusive.

”We do want to have more people who are young and agile, but since the Congress president himself is 81, there won’t be a marg darshak mandal (panel of senior mentors),’’ the functionary cited above said.

The announcement, likely in early July, is also expected to include new heads of all frontal organisations such as the National Students Union of India. Up to eight state units could see changes in their organisation. This includes new PCC chiefs for Delhi, Jharkhand and West Bengal, one of the people cited in the first instance said.

“Kharge has made up his mind and Rahul Gandhi won’t interfere in that process,’’ a second functionary said. ”Only in cases of great push back from an affected party, he may intervene.’’

At the Raipur plenary, the party decided not to hold elections for CWC and go by the party president’s nominations. One of the key things that are being watched out for is whether KC Venugopal will stay as general secretary in charge of organisation, or if Kharge will pick his own candidate.

Functionaries, however, suggested that Kharge may stick to status quo on this due to Venugopal’s proximity to the Gandhi family. To be sure, the argument against retaining him in the role has been to have a more balanced regional representation in the top posts instead of the current dominance of southern states. Kharge is from Karnataka and Venugopal from Kerala.

“The party has to carefully pick the nominees in the reserved seats so that all the members can make an impact and the right political and social message can also be sent,” the first functionary cited above said.

Four key state elections are due this year -- Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh where the Congress is hoping to retain power, Madhya Pradesh where it is looking to return to power, and Telangana where it is hoping to improve its performance after the victory in Karnataka earlier this year.