Congress Dissenters' Key Demand Accepted At Party's Big Meet In Rajasthan

A key demand of the dissenters in the party to constitute the Congress Parliamentary Board has been accepted as a suggestion at the party's big meet in Rajasthan. The suggestion now needs the approval of the Congress Working Committee, the highest decision making body in the party.

This is a key demand which will replace the Congress Election Committee that decides candidates for the Lok Sabha and assembly elections.

Gandhi loyalist, say sources, are determined not to allow the proposal of the Congress Parliamentary Board to be accepted and there is a tussle on this in the party.

Whether there will be elections of this new post or it will be constituted by regular members or nomination by the party president have been left to the top Congress body.

The dissenters who are participating in the Chintan Shivir, barring senior party leader Kapil Sibal, stayed together and united at the conclave, sources said, adding that they could make a statement once a consensus emerges

On the question of alliances with other political parties, the 137-year-old party wants to have state-wise alliances with various parties who are not aligned with the BJP.

There remains a big question mark on the leadership issue with no indication from Rahul Gandhi if he intends to contest the party's presidential elections to be held later this year. He resigned following the party's poor poll performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Sources close to him have indicated that he still feels that a non-Gandhi should lead the party.

The Congress also plans to raise the representation of Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and minorities to 50 per cent at all levels of the organisation.

Top Congress leaders from across the country are in Udaipur for a three-day brainstorming conclave to decide on the party's strategy on key issues and revamp of the organisation.