New Delhi: The election of Sonia Gandhi as
Congress President for the third consecutive time is likely by
end of August after the monsoon session of Parliament is over.
Congress Working Committee will announce a detailed
schedule for the election, though there is no immediate
official word from the party on when the CWC would meet, party
sources said.
The whole exercise generally takes around a fortnight
after CWC finalises the schedule.
As per the earlier schedule, Gandhi was set to be
re-elected by July 25. However, the delay in completion of
organisational polls appears to have extended her election.
Gandhi created a record of being the longest-serving
party President and completed over a decade since she took
over the top post in 1998, in the wake of the party`s dismal
showing in the Lok Sabha polls that saw the exit of Sitaram
Kesri from the post.
Gandhi has so far been unanimously elected for the post
barring once when Jitendra Prasada, a senior leader from
Uttar Pradesh, had thrown his hat in the ring but failed
miserably in the polls in 2000.
The AICC plenary is likely in Mumbai by the year end to
mark the completion of 125 years of the party`s formation.
Delhi could also be a likely venue given the fact that big
stadiums would be available in good conditions after the
Commonwealth Games.
A senior AICC functionary said that the country has been
divided into five zones for the celebrations and there would
be one zonal conference in each of them, for which a
coordination committee has already been formed.
AICC General Secretary in-charge of the state which will
host the conference would be the coordinator with the PCC
chief and CLP leaders of the state concerned as members of the
committee, he said.
Though the dates for the proposed zonal conferences have
not yet been formalised, it is expected to be announced
shortly. "They have almost decided the venues where the
conferences would be held," he said.
-PTI
