Congress set for major overhaul, announcement likely within next 10 days

New appointees are expected to reflect Rahul Gandhi's vision of a new Congress. Kerala MP K C Venugopal may play key role

New vice presidents, a comprehensive reshuffle of general secretaries and changes in the state leadership of the Congress is part of a new-look party after the stormy meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) where a letter written by a group of 23 Congressmen attempted to jolt the leadership out of its ‘inactivity’ but succeeded instead in strengthening the hold of the Gandhi family on the party further.

The outlines of the reshuffle are still in the making and should be announced in the next 10 days, top party leaders said. But given that the party constitution has no provision for the post of vice presidents, this can only be an extension of a suggestion made by former president Rahul Gandhi at the meeting yesterday that a committee aid and advise the interim Congress president till AICC elects a new president.

The new appointees are expected to reflect Rahul Gandhi's vision of a new Congress. Kerala MP and Rahul’s ‘bench mate’ in the Lok Sabha K C Venugopal is expected to play an important organisational role.

Others who have spoken up for Rahul’s ideas – like Sushmita Dev, chief of the Congress’s women’s wing; Rajeev Satav, the man who stirred it all up by targeting senior leaders at an earlier party meeting; Manickam Tagore, Lok Sabha MP from Virudhunagar in Tamil Nadu; K Raju, who is Rahul’s man for ideas on social equity; Bhanwar Jitender Singh; and Madhu Yaskhi Goud are among those who could be drafted into the party and entrusted with organizational responsibility. A part of this exercise has already begun with the replacement of Avinash Pandey with Ajay Maken as the general secretary in charge of Rajasthan which saw a recent upheaval.

It is not that Rahul Gandhi has not been taking positions on party matters: earlier this month, he addressed a video conference of party workers from Bihar which was attended by Bihar General Secretary in charge, SS Gohil and state party chief, Madan Mohan Jha. He gave workers talking points:“Highlight the failure of the state government on the front of education, health and employment. Take them to people. The state government has failed to tackle Covid and flood situations effectively. The Nitish Kumar government was reluctant to take back the migrants. The state government was boasting on the front of corruption; now the CM doesn’t talk on these issues,” Rahul told the party. He also directed Gohil and Jha to identify the number of seats and constituencies the party should address. For all practical purposes Rahul reached out to the party as its president.

Although there was some talk of a non-Gandhi president  (the names of former defence minister AK Antony and former leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge were mentioned), most leaders feel this is not a realistic arrangement. They cite a recent incident to indicate how Rahul’s acolytes dismissed the views of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra that a non-Gandhi could be president of the party as reported in a book, as being more than a year old, made in a different time and context and thus no longer valid.

Preparing for the new dispensation, many leaders are now recalibrating their positions. “We have never questioned the leadership of Soniaji," Veerappa Moily, former minister and signatory to the letter, said, a day after the Congress Working Committee "We do recognise the sacrifice made by Soniaji, she was reluctant (earlier to take up the post), but she gave life to Congress party. Nobody can be ungrateful to Soniaji. And we still treat her as our own mother and guide the destiny of the party and also destiny of the nation. That respect will continue to be there. But at the same time, the party needs to be rejuvenated. Our main theme of the letter itself is rejuvenation of the Congress at all levels. That does not mean she should not be President. Her becoming interim President again is welcome. We all love her."