Shashi Tharoor meets Sonia Gandhi ahead of Congress president election
Congress stalwart and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor met the party's interim chief Sonia Gandhi at her residence in Delhi on Monday ahead of the election for the Congress president next month. He, however, did not disclose what was discussed in the meeting. Before the meeting, Tharoor tweeted in support of a petition by "a group of young Congress members" seeking reforms in the party.
Why does this story matter?
Last month, the Congress announced its presidential election schedule at a time when it was reeling from the sudden departure of several party veterans, especially Ghulam Nabi Azad, among others. There were speculations around Tharoor contesting for the post after he called for a "free and fair" election for its leadership. However, he hasn't clarified yet if he is running for the post.
Shashi Tharoor at Sonia Gandhi's residence
Petition calls for Udaipur Declaration to be implemented
Tharoor on Monday also endorsed the Congress workers' petition, already signed by hundreds, asking for implementation of the Udaipur Declaration. The Udaipur Declaration was adopted by the Congress leadership in May, reiterating the party's commitment to free and fair internal elections. It formed rules allowing only one candidate per family and one person per party post, apart from proposing a five-year cap on tenures.
Here is Tharoor's tweet backing the petition
Congress president election to be held in October
The internal elections of the grand old party are slated to be held on October 17 as speculations are rife of a Gandhi family member being enthroned as the chief again. Party members can file their nominations from September 24-30. The results will be declared two days after the polls. Last week, Congress made significant changes to its internal election rules as well.
Congress changed internal poll rules last week
According to the new Congress rules, leaders contesting the polls and seeking the support of 10 PCC delegates from various states can check the names of 9,000 delegates at the Central Election Authority's office, said Congress's Central Election Authority, Madhusudan Mistry, per NDTV. Once the signed nomination is submitted to the Chief Returning Officer, candidates will get the list of the delegates, he added.
Setting the stage for Gandhis to retain leadership: Critics
Recently, the Congress asked its state units to urge Sonia Gandhi to select their state unit leaders for the All India Congress Committee (AICC). Critics suspected it was a way of setting the stage for the Gandhis to retain the presidential post—with or without polls. Three state units urged Rahul Gandhi to consider running for the post, and many are expected to follow suit.
