It’s to be a departure from recent past and instead of Zoom, it will now be using WebEx for video conferencing the meet to tide over the fear of hacking. The last time Sonia Gandhi met Rajya Sabha MPs, the incident left a bad experience. So this time, the Congress is taking no chances and the ID for the meeting will be given to the participants just before it begins.
Ironically, the fear of leak or hacking is not from China, Pakistan or even the BJP. It’s from within the party as the Congress faces a crisis of leadership and voices that were silent or reticent till now have started becoming vocal. At such a time, the last thing the top Congress leadership would want is for their internal strife to be made public.
However, the change in the means of conducting the meeting cannot put a lid on the crisis that the CWC could address. The biggest problem remains that of leadership. Most leaders in private and, some publicly, have complained that Congress has lost its steam; that it cannot fight the Modi juggernaut and the listlessness means soon Congress could be eased out of the national narrative. Apart from many leaving the party, those who stayed behind and are with the Congress often wonder what’s happening.
Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari and Rajiv Satav are a few who have raised their voice against this.
The problem before Sonia Gandhi remains the reluctance of Rahul Gandhi to take charge. When recently, a year-old interview of Priyanka Vadra to a book surfaced in which she said she agreed with her brother on a non-Gandhi Congress president, there were alarm bells in the party. The Congress officially made a statement to say the old interview was being used to push an agenda and party workers and leaders accept Rahul Gandhi as their leader.
At the CWC, it’s quite possible more voices may come up asking for Rahul Gandhi to take charge as it’s clear that Sonia Gandhi wants to hand over the reins. But what if he remains adamant? There is a proposal in place which could be implemented.
There could be appointment of more than two vice-presidents to assist Sonia Gandhi. This is to address the concern that Congress needs a full-time president. But such an appointment could also ensure that Gandhis remain in control and the party continues to be headed by one of them, in this case Sonia Gandhi. Names which are doing the rounds are of Ghulam Nabi Azad, P Chidambaram and Mallikarjun Kharge, but it’s quite possible that young leaders could be propped up.
This apart, many new faces could be brought in for key posts and most of them are perceived to be close to Rahul Gandhi. Sushmita Dev and Manickam Tagore are some names doing the rounds.
It would also be interesting to see whether Sachin Pilot is brought to the centre. While Pilot has made it clear that he sees Rajasthan as his ‘karam bhumi’ and CM Ashok Gehlot doesn’t want to leave the state yet, the Congress leadership could bring in Pilot to buy time till the committee submits its report.
The caveat for all this is, of course, that the Congress needs to have the urge to solve this turmoil. For now, the restlessness becomes tough to ignore. Some like Jitin Prasada have formed a Brahmin Samaj and this is to capitalise on the 12% Brahmin vote bank which his party doesn’t seem to be concentrating on. Clearly, he wants to ensure that his politics stays alive.
Few others who don’t want to leave the Congress are looking at ways to stay relevant. But the list of disillusioned leaders is long and growing, and many of these have at one point been influential or important in the scheme of things such as Milind Deora, Veerappa Moily, Anand Sharma, Ashwini Kumar, Salman Khurshid.
Some chose to leave the party, like Jyotiraditya Scindia, some fought back and continue to do so like Sachin Pilot. But as new leaders are being propped up and Rahul Gandhi has his favourites, many feel left out and yet, want to stay in the party. The CWC brings some hope to them that things could change. But will the Congress and CWC once again shy away from taking a decision?
'BJP IT cell knows election dates before…
08-06-2025
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has accused the BJP-led central government of hijacking constitutional institutions since 2014, echoing Rahul Gandhi's concerns about the Election Commission. Yadav referenced the 2020 Bihar elections...
Read more'11 years and no press conference': Cong…
08-06-2025
Congress leader Pawan Khera has strongly criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi, suggesting his tenure is nearing its end and highlighting perceived failures in governance and international relations. Khera pointed to...
Read moreUttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath conduct…
08-06-2025
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath conducted a high-level review of the State Tax Department in Lucknow and directed the officials to adopt the policy of transparency, technical efficiency and...
Read more'Literally what we were placing order fo…
07-06-2025
A Theobroma outlet in Mumbai faced criticism after a customer shared a video of a cockroach on paneer rolls. The incident sparked numerous complaints online regarding hygiene standards at various...
Read moreMorning news wrap: Manipur cuts internet…
07-06-2025
Tensions escalate globally as the US grapples with immigration protests, leading to federal troop deployment in Los Angeles. Simultaneously, a Colombian presidential candidate was shot, and al-Qaeda threatened Trump and...
Read moreSecurity tightened at Amarnath Yatra: Su…
07-06-2025
Heightened security measures, including surveillance drones and increased CRPF deployment, will safeguard the Amarnath Yatra following a recent terrorist attack. The 38-day pilgrimage will see stringent protocols like road opening...
Read moreAmit Shah honours police team that scalp…
07-06-2025
Amit Shah felicitated Chhattisgarh Police officers for their pivotal role in anti-Naxal operations in Bijapur and Narayanpur, which resulted in the elimination of top CPI(Maoist) leader Basavaraju and 57 others...
Read moreChenab river link: Besides engineering c…
07-06-2025
The construction of the world's highest cable-supported single-arch bridge on the Chenab River faced significant hurdles, including a series of Public Interest Litigations (PILs) filed in courts since 2008-09. These...
Read moreRahul's claims absurd, bring into disrep…
07-06-2025
Election Commission officials have strongly refuted Rahul Gandhi's claims of "fixing" the Maharashtra polls, dismissing them as absurd and disrespectful to the electoral process. The EC emphasized the transparency of...
Read moreGovernment approves shifting of Gurgaon’…
07-06-2025
The government has approved the relocation of Gurgaon's Kherki Daula toll plaza on NH-48 to Pachgaon, beyond Manesar, easing commutes for many. This move, long demanded by locals since 2014...
Read moreRetired HC judge John Michael D'Cunha wh…
07-06-2025
Following the tragic stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium during RCB's IPL victory celebrations, the Karnataka government has appointed retired Justice John Michael D'Cunha to lead a probe, demanding a report within...
Read moreIndia records 4 fresh Covid fatalities; …
07-06-2025
India reported four new Covid-19 fatalities, including a pregnant woman, raising the year's death toll to 59 with 5,755 active cases. In response to rising cases and deaths, the central...
Read morePassport of Rajasthan staffer held for s…
07-06-2025
Rajasthan Police discovered Shakur Khan's passport, revealing multiple trips to Pakistan, including one in March 2025. Khan, an assistant administrative officer, is accused of aiding Pakistani visa applications and collaborating...
Read moreGovt cracks whip on dark patterns, sets …
07-06-2025
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has instructed e-commerce platforms to conduct self-audits within three months to detect and remove 'dark patterns' that manipulate consumers. Platforms are encouraged to provide...
Read moreManipur cuts internet in 5 districts: Mo…
07-06-2025
Manipur government has suspended internet services in five districts, including Imphal West and East, for five days due to escalating law and order concerns. This decision follows protests sparked by...
Read morePM calls for action on disaster resilien…
07-06-2025
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed global leaders at the International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure in Europe, emphasizing five critical priorities. He urged integrating disaster resilience into education, creating a...
Read morePM Modi: Govt initiatives over 11 years …
07-06-2025
Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the transformation of the agriculture sector over the past 11 years, emphasizing increased farmer prosperity through initiatives like PM-Kisan and improved MSP. Agricultural exports have...
Read moreCan't club terror-backers with victims: …
07-06-2025
External Affairs Minister Jaishankar conveyed to UK's David Lammy India's firm stance against equating perpetrators of terrorism with its victims, emphasizing zero tolerance. Lammy condemned the Pahalgam attack and pledged...
Read moreA PG medic wanted to skip a seminar. So …
07-06-2025
Mangaluru police apprehended Chalasani Monica Choudary, a postgraduate medical student, for orchestrating a hoax bomb threat to a private hospital. The incident occurred on June 4th, with Choudary intending to...
Read moreGovt: Refined consumption data helped de…
07-06-2025
India's revised consumption data, incorporating improved survey methods and capturing more actual spending, significantly impacted the World Bank's global poverty benchmark. This led to a more realistic poverty line and...
Read more
