Congress changes internal poll rule ahead of presidential vote

The Indian National Congress is geared to
elect its next president on October 17. For the Grand-Old-Party, this, in many
ways is the most important presidential election this century so far. The
Congress has lost poll after poll since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came
to power in 2017, and the party has faced immense criticism over the years for
their over-dependence on the Gandhi family.

Sonia Gandhi, the Gandhi family matriarch, is
expected to take a back seat and none of the Congress scions, Rahul or Priyanka,
seem inclined to take on the mantle. In a bid to ensure that the election
process has transparency and the Congress finally finds a leader who will be
able to make Mahatma Gandhi’s party a capable opposition, the party has changed
a significant rule.

As per Congress’ new rule, anyone who files a
nomination for the presidential election will be able to see a list of the
9,000 delegates who make up the electoral college. The list will be available
at the office of the Congress’ central election authority from September 20,
Congress leader Madhusudhan Mistry told NDTV.

A number of Congress leaders, including
former cabinet ministers, have asked for this rule change in the run-up to the
polls. These leaders include Shashi Tharoor, Karti Chidambaram and Manish
Tiwari had written to Mistry demanding “transparency, fairness” in the election
process.

Five senior Congress leaders, including those
mentioned above had written a letter to Mistry, who is the chairman of the
party’s central election authority. They had sought for the electoral roles to
be securely provided to electors and potential candidates.

“We are not suggesting that the internal
document of the party should be released in a manner that may give an
opportunity to those who wish us ill to misuse the content there in,” they had
said in the letter.

“We are rather of the firm opinion that
before the commencement of the nomination process, the party’s Central Election
Authority (CEA) must provide a list of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC)
delegates that make up the electoral college,” their letter said.

In response to the letter, Madhusudan Mistry said,”If anyone desires to get nominations from ten supporters from different states, the list of all 9000+ delegates will be available in my office at AICC, Delhi from 20th September (11 AM to 6 PM), before they file their nomination on 24th September,” he added.