Congress Raipur plenary: Steering Committee authorises Congress chief Kharge to nominate CWC members

Party communications in charge Jairam Ramesh said the plenary will decide whether to implement 16 proposed amendments to 32 existing party rules over the next two days.

New Delhi: The Congress Steering Committee has decided to empower the party president with the power to nominate Congress Working Committee (CWC) members instead of holding elections for the same, Congress communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh said on Friday. "Almost all among the 45 members present at the meeting unanimously agreed to authorise party president Mallikarjun Kharge of nominating CWC members", Ramesh stated while addressing the media.

He further stated that a decision as to whether to implement 16 amendments to 32 existing party rules and regulations will be decided at the plenary session over the next two days. "The most important amendment is on the representation of Dalits, tribals, women and youth in the Congress Working Committee. These changes will come, we have full faith," he observed.

Putting out details of the Plenary session in Raipur that started on Friday, Ramesh said the subjects committee meeting will be convened later in the day, where six proposals raised before the party will be deliberated and pushed ahead for further discussions at the plenary. "The opening address will be delivered by the Congress president at 10:30 am on Saturday, following which former president Sonia Gandhi will address the gathering. After this, at around 1 pm, three proposals will be raised at the event: a political proposal, an economic proposal and proposals related to foreign affairs.

Meanwhile, addressing the event, Kharge invoked the 1924 Congress plenary session in Karnataka's Belagavi where Mahatma Gandhi was elected the president of Indian National Congress. "This convention was held in Belagavi in my home state of Karnataka. Although Gandhiji was the President of the Congress only once, in a short span of time, he made the Congress a movement by linking it with the poor, the weaker sections, the villages and the youth. After 100 years, the same determination and spirit are needed again. This will be our biggest tribute to him.'' he added.

Further noting the task of coordinating the party organisation ahead of assembly elections scheduled in more than half a dozen states across the country, the Congress president said this would send a positive signal to crores. "... This Congress convention is taking place ahead of assembly elections and then the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. This is both a big challenge, and a big opportunity, that lies before us. From here, our meaningful message will reach crores of friends with a new energy, then those workers will be able to gain the trust of the public by taking it to every village. The decisions we take here will become a strong foundation for the future of our party from Kanyakumari to Kashmir" he said.