Congress Plenary Session: Ready for CWC election but Steering Committee will decide, says Jairam Ramesh

The Congress on Thursday said all preparations are in place for holding the CWC polls in case party president Mallikarjun Kharge-led steering committee decides in favour of having the elections for seats in the party's top decision-making body.

Mallikarjun Kharge-led steering committee will meet at 10 am on February 24, the first day of the party's 85th plenary session in Chhattisgarh's Nava Raipur, General Secretary in charge of Communications, Jairam Ramesh said.

"The steering committee will decide on it tomorrow. This matter will certainly come up during the steering committee meeting."

He, however, added that the steering committee will decide as per the party's constitution.

"But we are ready for the (CWC) polls, all preparations have been made. If the decision is in favour of the polls, then elections will take place," Ramesh added.

There is no political party that has elections for party posts and in the last 22 years, the Congress is the only party that has an impartial election body for holding internal polls, he claimed.

Echoing similar views, Congress general secretary organization K C Venugopal told PTI that all preparations are in place if the steering committee decides that an election is needed.

The Congress top brass will attend the 85th plenary session that will primarily endorse the presidentship of Kharge and will pave the way for the new working committee led by him.

On the first day of the three-day session, the steering committee, which is playing the role of the Working Committee (the previous one was dissolved until a new CWC is formed), will also decide on whether there will be elections to the top decision-making body or not.

Days ahead of the plenary session, senior leader P Chidambaram had said half of the CWC members should be elected as per the AICC constitution and batted for younger leaders' inclusion in the party's top decision-making body.

In an interview with PTI, he had said he has learnt that there are issues about the strength of the electoral college that will elect the CWC which must be resolved by the party's poll panel.

According to the party constitution, the working committee shall consist of the president of the Congress, the Leader of the Congress Party in Parliament and 23 other members of whom 12 members will be elected by the AICC, as per rules prescribed by the working committee and the rest shall be appointed by the president.

"These resolutions will be discussed on February 25 and 26 February. On February 25, resolutions related to political, economic and international matters will be discussed and on February 26, resolutions related to agriculture and farmers welfare; social justice and empowerment; and youth, employment and education will be discussed,” Ramesh said.

On February 26, there will be a speech by the Congress President at 2 pm and a public meeting will be held at 4 pm, he said.