Rahul likely to be elected Congress President unopposed

The Congress announced Party President's election schedule on Monday. It is likely that party vice president Rahul Gandhi will be elected party president unopposed.

The election schedule was announced here at the party's apex body, the Congress Working Committee meeting here, which was addressed by party President Sonia Gandhi.

Congress' Central Election Authority Chairman Mullapalli Ramachandran announced the schedule for the elections.

"Notification for Congress President poll will be issued on December 1 and the nominations can be filed till December 4. The last date for withdrawal is December 11. The voting will be conducted on December 16 and the results will be declared on December 19," Ramachandran said.

According to sources, it is unlikely that any other Congress leader would file nomination for party president's election and Rahul's will be officially declared Congress President on December 11, the last day of withdrawal.

Even, Congress General Secretary Janardhan Dwivedi hinted this on Saturday when he told reporters that "If only one nomination is filed, it will be announced on date of withdrawal of nominations that he is the president since there is no other nomination."

Congress Central Election Committee started electoral process in May 2016 that has ended.

Earlier, Sonia Gandhi addressed the CWC meeting and congratulated the Central Election Committee for carrying out huge exercise of with utmost diligence, integrity and impartiality.

"Over the last 18 months, the election process that has concluded in all but six States has elected block presidents, an equal number of delegates, primary units and party members. This has provided an opportunity for the Party to interact with lakhs of workers across the country, starting from the booth level," Sonia said.

She further added that "this reaffirms that the party's roots are spread across every district of the country and that no other political party can match the plurality and diversity of the Congress Party".

The Congress President also launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government for not declaring the dates of Winter Session.

"Modi government in arrogance has cast dark shadow on India's Parliamentary democracy by sabotaging Winter Session on flimsy grounds. The government is mistaken if it thinks by locking temple of democracy, it'll escape constitutional accountability ahead of elections." Sonia said.

She further added that "the Prime Minister had the audacity to have a midnight celebration in Parliament to launch an ill prepared and flawed GST (Goods and Services Tax) but today he lacks the courage to face Parliament."

She also exhorted party workers to ensure that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government is defeated in Gujarat.

The 14th Gujarat Legislative Assembly election, 2017 is scheduled to be held on December 9, 2017 and December 14, 2017.