Congress postpones election for party president on Oct 17

New Delhi: The Congress on Sunday announced that the election to the post of party president will be held on October 17.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) convened by its interim president Sonia Gandhi in hybrid mode.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, Congress general secretary in-charge of organization KC Venugopal said, “The CWC meeting was today held under the chairmanship of party president Sonia Gandhi. The Committee unanimously considered and approved the final schedule for Congress president election given by party’s chairman of Central Election Authority (CEA) Madhusudan Mistry.”
The Congress president election will be held on October 17, he said.
“It is an open election. Anyone can contest this election,” Venugopal added.
He also said in the meeting, the CWC reiterated its resolve to make the ‘Mehangai Par Halla Bol’ rally here on September 4 and the launch of the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ from Kanyakumari on September 7 and its continuation thereafter a resounding success.
Apprising about the meeting, Mistry who was also present, told reporters that notification for the election will be issued on September 22, and the filing of nomination will start from September 24 and continue till September 30.
He said that the candidate can file nomination from 11 am to 3 pm in the said period at the party headquarters here.
As per the schedule announced by Mistry, scrutiny of nomination will take place on October 1 and the last date of withdrawal of candidature is October 8.
The election campaign will start from October 8 and continue till October 16.
“If there is more than one candidate, then polling at all the Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters will be held on October 17 in between 10 am to 4 pm.
Counting of votes and declaration of results are on October 19,’ the CEA chairman said.
Meanwhile, Congress general secretary in-charge of Communications Jairam Ramesh in a tweet wrote, ” There is some dubious ‘source-based’ plantation going on that questions were raised in the CWC meeting today on the Congress president’s election process and schedule. This is to make it absolutely clear that ‘nobody’ raised any question or any doubt.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, party’s general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, were among others who attended the CWC meeting. (UNI)