All PCC delegates be given I-cards: Congress poll body tells returning officers

The Congress poll body has asked all PCC delegates to be given identity cards with QR codes to ensure there is no fake list of electors for the Congress chief's election.

New Delhi: The Congress has told all pradesh election officers to speed up the election process in states and ask PCCs to pass resolutions authorising the Congress president to nominate state unit chiefs and AICC members of his or her choice. However, this will come into effect only after the new Congress president is elected.

This move, sources said, is initiated to speed up the election process and fulfil the constitutional obligation of holding elections at the state level. The central election authority of the Congress has asked all returning officers to speed up the election process of PCC chiefs and AICC delegates through the passing of such resolutions between September 16 and 20.

The Congress poll body has also asked all PCC delegates to be given identity cards with QR codes to ensure there is no fake list of electors for the Congress chief's election. Over 9000 PCC delegates across the country comprise the electoral college fr the Congress president's election which starts September 22 with the issue of the notification.

This was conveyed by the chairman of the authority conducting organisational elections Madhusudan Mistry with all pradesh returning officers during a meeting, sources said. They said Mistry while reviewing the internal elections of the Congress, told the returning officers to complete the process of electing all AICC delegates in every state across the country between September 16 and 20 by holding a meeting of PCC delegates authorising the new Congress president to nominate a PCC chief and AICC delegate of his/her choice.

Sources said the PRO's have also been asked not to be part of any resolution which authorises a particular person for taking over as new Congress chief. Some PCCs may pass resolutions asking Rahul Gandhi to become the Congress president. The notification for the Congress president's election will be out on September 22 by when all the PCC delegates will be finalised and electoral roll published and the election, if required, will be held on October 17.

Over 9,000 delegates will elect the new Congress president to succeed Sonia Gandhi who is holding the top post as interim president since 2019 after Rahul Gandhi resigned as party chief, taking moral responsibility of the Congress drubbing in Lok Sabha polls. Though efforts are on to request Rahul Gandhi to take over as party chief once again, he is reportedly not keen on the post and wants a non-Gandhi to be elected.

Sources said Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is the frontrunner for the top post as he enjoys both proximity and confidence of the Gandhis. However, Shashi Tharoor, who is a member of the G23 which had sought organisational overhaul and reforms in the party in a letter to the Congress president two years ago, may contest in case a non-Gandhi files nomination for the top post.

Tharoor has also been demanding fairness and probity in the Congress president's election and wants the list of electors to be made public. Addressing his concern, the central election authority has said that any member desirous of contesting can peruse the electoral roll at its office in AICC headquarters and will be provided with a copy of the electors once his nomination is found in order.

Nomination for the post of Congress president can be filed from September 24 to September 30 from 11 am to 3 pm every day. The last day of filing a nomination is Friday, September 30, 2022, and after scrutiny of nomination papers on October 1, the last date of withdrawal of nominations is October 8. \

The election campaign can be done between October 8 to 16, 2and in case there are more than one candidate, polling will be held at all Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters and at AICC on October 17 between 10 am and 4 pm. The counting shall take place on October 19 and the results will be declared the same day. (PTI)