New Delhi: The Congress Central Election Authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry on Sunday said that he is all set to publish the notification for the polls for next party president on September 22 and expressed satisfaction that the controversy over publishing of electoral rolls before the nominations is over.
“Yes, we are going ahead with the process as announced. We will publish the notification on September 22 and nominations will be open from September 24 to 30,” Central Election Authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry told ETV Bharat in an exclusive interview. The polls were earlier scheduled to be over by September 21 but had to be deferred to October 17 due to the inauspicious period in between.
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, who had gone abroad for a medical check-up, had chaired a Congress Working Committee meeting online, which approved the revised schedule on August 28.
While former Rajya Sabha deputy leader Anand Sharma, a key member of the G23, a group of senior dissenters, had questioned the quality of electoral rolls during the CWC meeting, five sitting Lok Sabha MPs, including Manish Tewari, Shashi Tharoor, Pradyut Bordoloi, Karti Chidambaram and Abdul Khaleque later wrote to CEC chairman Madhusudan Mistry demanding that rolls be published before nomination opens on September 24 to ensure transparency in the election of new party president.
Tewari and Tharoor were also part of the G23, which was targeted by the Gandhi family loyalists. “I replied to the five MPs that anyone desirous of filing his or her nomination can either visit my office in the AICC headquarters from September 20 onwards to check the list of delegates or they could go to the state unit headquarters to check the names,” Mistry said.
“All those who file a nomination, have to be supported by at least 10 delegates. Once they file their papers, they would be provided a copy of the electoral rolls as per the party Constitution. The rolls would be published after the nominations close on September 30,” he said. All the five MPs have expressed satisfaction over Mistry’s reply, indicating that the controversy over the rolls is over.
Also read: Congress president polls: CEC rejects demand of 5 MPs to publish rolls before nomination
“I am pleased with the clarifications. In view of these assurances, I am satisfied. Many would be glad to move on with an election process that in my view will only strengthen the party. I spoke to Mistryji and told him that as loyal Congressmen, we were seeking clarification, not confrontation,” Tharoor said.
Tewari, Chidambaram and Bordoloi endorsed Tharoor’s views. “I am satisfied with the reply and I endorse the sentiments of my senior colleague,” said Chidambaram. “Heartening to note that he (Mistry) has taken on board and even appreciated the objective of our individual and collective exhortations to him. My concern has always been integrity of the process not personal aspirations of any individual much less mine,” said Tewari.
“Raising questions is not revolting. It makes internal democracy vibrant. However, public violation of discipline is harmful to any organization,” said Khaleque. According to party insiders, the MPs had cast doubt over the quality of the electoral rolls, comprising over 9000 delegates across states, indirectly and had hinted that the process of electing the delegates was probably not fair.
In the run-up to the polls for the post of party president, the Congress had conducted a massive membership drive, including digital membership for the first time, all over the country, said CEC sources. Later, the CEC had conducted polls in all the 28 states and 9 Union Territories to elect state unit office bearers and over 9000 delegates, who would be eligible to vote for the next Congress president.
In a first, these delegates were given QR code-based identity cards carrying their details to ensure a fair play both in the filing of nomination and in polling, said the CEC sources. The main demand of the G23 leaders, led by Ghulam Nabi Azad, who left the party recently, had been internal party polls so that a fulltime party president was elected.
The polls were planned during 2020 and 2021 also but could not be held due to Covid pandemic. In October 2021, the party had finalized a schedule as per which the polls were to be held by September 21 this year. But that was also pushed ahead by a month. As per the revised schedule, the last date of withdrawal would be October 8 and polling, if there are multiple candidates, would take place on October 17. The results would be out on October 19.
The coming polls for the post of next Congress president are being watched closely across the country as they have come in the backdrop of incumbent chief Sonia Gandhi’s ill health and former president Rahul Gandhi’s reported reluctance for a second term. While there has been a popular demand within the party that Rahul should become Congress president again, the Wayanad MP, currently leading the nationwide Bharat Jodo Yatra, has maintained suspense over the issue saying “I have made up my mind over the issue and would reveal my views at an appropriate time.”
“There would be clarity when the polls for party president take place. Wait till then,” Rahul told reporters recently in Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. Rahul’s reluctance has fueled speculation within the party that a non-Gandhi may become the new party chief. In this regard, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot had denied his candidature while Shashi Tharoor said that he would clear air over his plans to contest in a few weeks.
“I am the CEC chairman. I am aware of the big responsibility on my shoulders. The period for nominations would be interesting. AlI I am trying to do is to ensure fair elections,” said Mistry.
