Internal polls in Congress: Rahul Gandhi to be crowned as party chief?

It looks like Rahul Gandhi would soon take the charge of Congress president.

New Delhi, April 14: If reports are to be believed, the Congress is all set to conduct its internal elections by October this year. During the polls, the Congress in all likelihood would elevate Rahul Gandhi as the party president.

Currently, Rahul is holding the post of party vice president. His mother, Sonia Gandhi, is the party president for the last 19 years. Since 2014 Lok Sabha polls, several leaders in the Congress had asked Rahul to take over as the party chief. Even the Congress Working Committee--the highest decision making body in the party--had asked Rahul to officially head the party in November last year. However, the change in guard in the grand old party is yet to happen.

Although, Rahul is the second-in-command of the party, he is the one who takes all the major decisions for the Congress, as Sonia has become less active in politics due to her bad health.

According to a report published by Indian Express, the Congress' election authority chairman, Mullappally Ramachandran, had a meeting with Sonia, Rahul and senior leaders Ahmed Patel, AK Antony and Janardan Dwivedi for drawing up the tentative schedule for the elections.

Ramachandran said, "The elections would be held democratically and transparently....Congress is the only political party which holds internal elections in a transparent and democratic fashion."

Earlier, the Election Commission had issued an ultimatum to the Congress to complete its poll process by June 2017. The party has been long delaying the completion of its internal elections, which were due in 2015.

After request from the Congress, the EC has agreed to accept the party's appeal to finish its internal elections by December this year.

OneIndia News