Congress on Thursday clarified that any resolution passed by the state units will have no bearing on the election of the new party president.
The clarification from the grand old party came after some media reports stated that the top leadership of the Congress has ordered all the state units to pass a resolution before September 20.
As per the resolution, interim president Sonia Gandhi will be asked to nominate all state unit chiefs and members of the All India Congress Committee.
Following the new order, questions have arisen once again regarding internal democracy in Congress.
Addressing a press conference here at the party headquarters, Congress Central Election Authority (CEA) chairperson Madhusudan Mistry said, “There was some misunderstanding yesterday among the people, which I came to know. Due to this resolution process will not have any bearing on the election process for the party chief. This is an independent process and under this process from September 24 to September 30, nomination will take place.”
He said that after the nomination process, scrutiny will take place, and later there is a period of withdrawal for seven days. “And after that, the number of candidates will be calculated and if there is more than one candidate then in every state at the party state office voting will take place on October 16,” the Congress leader said.
“The Congress president process will have no bearing on passing resolution and incoming president; whosoever comes will have ease,” Mistry asserted. He also said that on Wednesday, a meeting related to election for party president with all state returning officers and poll preparedness was discussed.
He said that the party issued identity cards to all the delegates, which is more than 9,000. “The new identity cards have QR code, which will be distributed by September 20 to all delegates in states,” Mistry stated. He also said that the party’s PRO (Pradesh Returning Officer) will call a meeting in states with the state presidents and they will give the authorisation to the party chief.
The delegates with the identity cards will have to come with them for voting, Mistry said.
“The people whose photographs are not there will have to bring their Aadhar card and those whose photographs are available don’t have to bring their Aadhar card for voting,” he said.
Congress is witnessing an election for the top post after a gap of 21 years. Sonia Gandhi remained at the top post of the party for 18 years from 2000 to 2017. In 2017, Rahul Gandhi became the party chief, which he quit after 2019 Lok Sabha election drubbing. Sonia Gandhi has been holding the post of interim Congress chief for the last three years since August 2019.
With Rahul Gandhi refusing the top party post, the Gandhi family is keen on a non-Gandhi chief of the party after more than 20 years.
The State Congress Committees have been requested to pass resolutions before September 20. Election notification starts on September 22; nominations can be filed between September 24 and 30, and voting is on October 17.