Rahul Gandhi files nomination for top Congress post: What you need to know

Rahul Gandhi has filed the nomination for the post of Congress president, paving the way for his much-awaited elevation ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Rahul Gandhi is likely to emerge as the lone candidate in the fray and decks have been cleared for his election as the Congress president, succeeding his mother Sonia Gandhi, who has held the post for 19 years in a row now.

Senior party leaders including Kamal Nath, Sheila Dikshit, Motilal Vora and Tarun Gogoi filed first set of nominations(as proposers) for Rahul Gandhi.

So far 90 nomination forms have been given out to state unit delegates. No application for nomination has been submitted so far and tomorrow is the last date for filing nominations.

Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said all party general secretaries and CWC members, besides states and frontal organisations will file nomination forms in Rahul Gandhi's favour.

The process of nomination started on December 1 and today is the last date for filing the same.

The elevation of Rahul Gandhi, who is presently spearheading the Congress campaign ahead of the December 9 and 14 Gujarat Assembly polls, has been much talked about in party circles for around two years.

Rahul, who became Congress Vice-President in January 2013, will succeed his mother, who is the longest-serving chief of the party, having been at the helm from 1998.

How the Congress elects its president

• The Congress Party's constitution lays down an elaborate process to elect its president.
• The Congress Working Committee, the top executive body of the party, sets the election schedule, any ten delegates of the party may jointly propose any delegate's name for the President's post.
• A window of seven days is given for withdrawal of nominations after names of all contestants are published.
• In case there's only one candidate, he or she is declared President of the next Congress Plenary Session.
• During the interim period between the election and the Plenary, the winner will be called as the President-elect.
• The term of the Congress president is 5 years.
• In case there are multiple candidates, the winner has to secure more than 50% of the total votes.
• If no candidate gets more than 50% of the first preference votes, second preferences will be counted.

Sonia Gandhi, who has held the post for 19 years in a row now is the longest-serving candidate.

OneIndia News