Sachin Pilot
On the anniversary of the birth of Rajiv Gandhi, a former prime minister and a symbol of the Congress, the grand old party today revealed the members of its highest governing council. Ahead of the state of Rajasthan’s upcoming assembly elections later this year, the angry leader Sachin Pilot has been given a spot on the Congress Working Committee. The party has been attempting to appease the former deputy chief minister of Rajasthan, who recently publicly embarrassed the state government of his own party, which is led by his rival Ashok Gehlot.
New members of CWC
The CWC has welcomed new members Sachin Pilot, Shashi Tharoor (who stood against Mallikarjun Kharge in the Congress President election last year), Deepa Das Munshi, and Syed Nasser Hussain.
Ms. Das Munshi is a former West Bengal state representative and the widow of the late Priya Ranjan Das Munshi, a veteran congressman and former union minister. Ms. Hussain, a member of the Rajya Sabha, previously participated in the Congress’ national media panel.
According to insiders, Mr. Pilot will likely be appointed governor of a sizable state. Anand Sharma, another signatory to the G-23 group’s petition requesting party reforms in 2020, has also been given a position in the main party body in addition to Shashi Tharoor.
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Shash Tharoor takes it to X
In a post on X, Shashi Tharoor stated that he feels “honored” to have been chosen as the party president’s nominee. “Humbled and grateful to be a part of this institution,” he remarked.
I am honoured by the decision of the @INCIndia President Shri Mallikarjun @Kharge ji and the Congress central leadership to nominate me to the Working Committee. As one who is aware of the historic role played by the CWC in guiding the party over the last 138 years, I am humbled…
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) August 20, 2023
Half of the party’s officer-bearers should be under 50, according to KC Venugopal, the general secretary (organisation) of the party, who made that statement earlier this year. Only three of the 39 CWC members—Sachin Pilot, Gourav Gogoi, and Kamaleshwar Patel—are under the age of 50.
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Priyanka Gandhi loses all controls
Priyanka Gandhi, the general secretary of the Congress and the person in command of Uttar Pradesh, is not expected to be given control of any state, according to sources.
Instead of being chosen in an election, the party’s president, Mallikarjun Kharge, proposed the members. Though the Congress Steering Committee claimed in February that the decision to allow party chief Mallikarjun Kharge to nominate all CWC members was unanimous, sources claim that it was not; at the meeting held in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur as part of the Congress’ 85th plenary session, leaders like Ajay Maken, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, and Digvijaya Singh supported elections.
