New Delhi: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday reconstituted the crucial Congress Working Committee (CWC) ahead of the crucial 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress Working Committee is the highest decision-making body of the All India Congress Committee (AICC).
Kharge has included 39 regular members in the reconstituted CWC. Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, is part of the CWC. Former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi are also part of the CWC. Senior leader Priyanka Gandhi, the daughter of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi is also a part of the CWC.
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Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, who is a Rajya Sabha MP from Assam, has also been included in the grand old party's highest decision-making body. The Congress has ensured that there is representation from the nooks and corners of the country. Tamil Nadu Congress stalwart and former Union Home and Finance Minister P Chidambaram is also a part of the CWC. Even former Union Defence Minister and senior party leader from Kerala AK Antony is also a part of the CWC.
Congress leader in Lok Sabha, who is currently suspended from the Lower House of Parliament, and West Bengal Congress Committee president Adhir Ranjan Choudhary is also part of the reconstituted CWC. Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, who comes from Bihar along with Shashi Tharoor (Kerala) and Anand Sharma are also included in the reconstituted CWC. Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh, a former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, is also part of the CWC, former Union Minister Veerappa Moily (Karnataka) and Manish Tewari have been made permanent invitees, according to a Congress statement.
Former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, who has been at loggerheads with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot are also included in the reconstituted CWC.
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and senior leaders Ambika Soni, Mukul Wasnik, Jairam Ramesh, Randeep Singh Surjewala, and Salman Khurshid are included in the reconstituted CWC. The other leaders to be part of the reconstituted CWC include Tariq Anwar, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, and N Raghuveera Reddy.
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The party leadership earlier this year unanimously authorized Kharge to form the new CWC panel to prepare the grand old party for the prestigious parliamentary elections next year. Congress party senior leader Jairam Ramesh already clarified that the final decision on reconstituting the all-important CWC will be taken by the AICC president himself.
The Congress camp has been in an upbeat mood ever since Kharge became the national president of the party considering the successive victories in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka Assembly elections. That Mallikharjun Kharge got the resounding victory in Karnataka during his term as the AICC president became a shot in the arm for his followers. Kharge has long been seen as a staunch loyalist of the Congress since his entry into Karnataka politics.
Senior leader Harish Rawat has been made a permanent invitee. (with agency inputs)
