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Rediff.com  » News » Rahul Refuses, Sonia Likely To Continue

Rahul Refuses, Sonia Likely To Continue

By R RAJAGOPALAN
August 14, 2022 12:18 IST
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IMAGE: Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi leads a protest of party MPs against inflation and unemployment outside Parliament, August 5, 2022. Photograph: ANI Photo

Since Rahul Gandhi has refused to be the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi will continue to lead the party till the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

Sonia will likely be assisted by two vice presidents: Ashok Gehlot in charge of party affairs in north India with probably P Chidambaram doing likewise for south India.

There is also a view that Karnataka Congress leader D K Shiv Kumar -- with his reputation as a streetfighter -- may be a better fit than Chidambaram, who turns 77 next month.

Should that happen, Siddaramaiah will be the Congress's chief ministerial nominee for the 2023 assembly election in Karnataka.

Rahul Gandhi meanwhile is working on a blueprint to reorganise the Congress party after the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

 

Madhusudan Mistry, chairman of the Congress's central election authority, has written to Sonia Gandhi, proposing a timeline to elect party office-bearers.

Mistry will meet Election Commission officials this coming week to explain the delay in holding organisational elections citing the ongoing Enforcement Directorate questioning of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.

It is likely that Congress party elections will be held before Rahul Gandhi begins his Bharat Yatra on September 7.

According to the broad schedule, the party has to elect a new president between August 21 and September 20.

Sonia Gandhi is expected to convene a Congress Working Committee meeting to approve the timeline.

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R RAJAGOPALAN
 
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