JOIN USThe Congress is likely to convene a meeting of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) next month before the elevation of Rahul Gandhi as its president.
According to Congress sources, the meeting is necessary to put the AICC’s seal on minor changes to revive the active-membership criterion of the party.
“A ‘business session’ of the AICC could be convened next month to pass a single-line amendment to the party constitution,” a senior party leader said.
Earlier this year, the Congress Working Committee decided to amend the party constitution to reintroduce the primary- and active-membership criteria.
The other much-debated issue of reducing the tenure of the party president and the state unit chiefs from five to three years has, however, been shelved, the leader said.
Another Congress leader also made it clear that the September session would not discuss the transfer of power from the current president, Sonia Gandhi, to her son, who is now the vice-president.
As per the talks in Congress circles, the transition could be seen during a plenary session which might be held in December, either in Bengaluru or Delhi.
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi is travelling from one state to another to rejuvenate the party cadres who have been demoralised following the party’s shocking defeat in the Lok Sabha election last year.
The party is trying to mobilise support by targetting the Narendra Modi government over issues like amendments to the land acquisition law, though with not much success. It faced defeat in the recent civic elections in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan despite putting up a strong protest against the Modi government over the ‘Lalitgate’ controversy and Vyapam corruption issue.
Rahul Gandhi led a serious charge by the Congress against External affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in the Lalitgate controversy while Sonia Gandhi displayed an unprecedented aggressive gesture at the Centre after a number of her party MPs were suspended by the Lok Sabha Speaker.