No elections to Congress Working Committee; Kharge to nominate CWC members

The Congress steering committee on Friday unanimously decided to authorise party president Mallikarjun Kharge to nominate all members of the working committee, the party's highest decision making body. Congress general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh said the committee freely discussed the matter of CWC elections and almost all 45 members present at the meeting unanimously decided to authorise the Congress president to nominate members.

Several members expressed their views both in favour and against the polls to CWC, he told reporters. ''We are fully confident that all AICC and PCC delegates will support this unanimous decision,'' he said.

Ramesh also said that the plenary will also decide on bringing 16 amendments to 32 rules and regulations of the party's constitution.

''All former prime ministers of the Congress party and former presidents will be given representation in the Working Committee,'' he said, giving details of amendments to be brought about in the constitution of the party.

The plenary session comes at a time when the Congress faces unprecedented challenges electorally and even to its primacy in the Opposition bloc. While the Congress hopes to stitch an anti-BJP front for 2024 polls having said that it alone has the moral and the organizational power to lead it, clouds of disunity are hovering over it.

The TMC, BRS and AAP appear reluctant to accept the Congress stewardship and BRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao has been holding his own parleys to rein in the BJP.

Meanwhile, Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi arrived in Chhattisgarh capital Raipur on Friday afternoon to attend the party's three-day 85th plenary session that began here in the morning.

Tribal folk artistes wearing colourful dresses accorded a grand welcome to the Gandhis at the Swami Vivekananda Airport Raipur amid beating of drums. The artistes also presented a traditional dance to welcome the two leaders, when they arrived in a special aircraft shortly after 2.30 pm.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, his Rajasthan counterpart Ashok Gehlot, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal, state Congress chief Mohan Markam and other senior leaders of the party were present at the airport to welcome them.

The plenary session is being held from February 24 to 26 at Rajyotsav Sthal in Nava Raipur.