Congress president-in-waiting Rahul Gandhi is set to take over the reins of the party next week and is expected to usher in a new era as the chief without a whip.
Highly placed sources in the party told Mail Today that in keeping with Congress tradition, a deputy to the top post is unlikely as Rahul is expected to be far more ‘accessible’ to the party’s leadership, be it at the state or national level.
Senior party functionaries maintained that Rahul was brought in as the vice-president in 2013, almost 15 years after sitting party president Sonia Gandhi served without a deputy.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi with warty leaders during filing of his nomination papers for the post of party president, at the AICC office in New Delhi on Monday
‘He was chosen for the number two spot to prepare and groom him for the top job ahead. He had always shown immense promise and there was consensus in the party that he should eventually take up the mantle of the party chief,’ said a senior party leader.
‘Congress so far has had just three vice presidents or second-in-command leaders. It is not the norm but exception.’
Late Congress heavyweight Arjun Singh was the last vice-president of the party, appointed to the position in the 1980s when former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi served as party chief.
![The current vice president is expected to take over from mother Sonia (pictured) next week](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/04/21/46FC08A100000578-5145195-image-a-3_1512424720166.jpg)
The current vice president is expected to take over from mother Sonia (pictured) next week
Kamalapati Tripathi served as working president in 1983 when Indira Gandhi was the prime minister, whereas HN Bahuguna became secretary general in 1980.
Several top leaders confirmed that a new vice-president is completely ruled out and appointing one would not only undermine the new chief’s position but also create a fresh situation of looking for consensus over the candidate.
‘What is the need for a vice-president? It is time for Rahul ji to consolidate the party and bring the old guard and young leadership together. He has already met state unit leaders and the party’s senior national leadership one-on-one and intends to be accessible to everyone as the party chief. There is absolutely no need for a go-between or a deputy. He has prepared for and earned the position following years of hard work,’ said a senior functionary close to Rahul.
![Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Sushilkumar Shinde, Anand Sharma and other leaders, during filing of his nomination papers for the post of party president](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/04/21/46FC08A900000578-5145195-image-a-4_1512424724312.jpg)
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Sushilkumar Shinde, Anand Sharma and other leaders, during filing of his nomination papers for the post of party president
On Monday, 89 sets of nominations backed by 10 proposers each were submitted to the party’s central election authority head Mullappally Ramachandran. The party’s Constitution rules that nominations can be filed by representatives of candidates on their behalf so that if two rival leaders contest for the post, neither can be asked to back out nor pressurised to withdraw.
‘At a time the fairness of these polls are being questioned, it must be clarified that the very process of polling cannot be more above board. Today, as the internal election authority receives 89 nominations, no one knows definitively if any other candidate is in the fray. Only once the nominations are scrutinised tomorrow will we know if polling is needed or not,’ said a party source.
Senior leaders maintained that it is highly unlikely that another contestant might have filed a nomination. If all the 89 nominations filed on Monday are for Rahul, the election authority will still not declare him a winner until December 11, which is the last date for withdrawal of nomination.
‘Rahul Gandhi is free to change his mind till then,’ laughed a senior leader.
If elected unopposed, the party is set to celebrate its new chief’s election in a grand show on December 15, after the second phase of polling in Gujarat.
Amidst the fanfare of Rahul filing his nomination at the party headquarters on 24, Akbar Road, on Monday morning, sitting president Sonia was conspicuously missing.
The first set of nomination had Sonia as the main proposer, along with veterans such as Ahmed Patel, Tarun Gogoi, Motilal Vohra, Kamal Nath, Mohsina Kidwai, Ashok Gehlot, Mukul Wasnik and Sheila Dikshit.
It was submitted by Dikshit as Sonia stayed away citing poor health. According to seniority of leaders, they grouped themselves into tens to file nominations backing Rahul, who accompanied former PM Manmohan Singh, the main proposer of the second nomination. The third nomination had CP Joshi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Randeep Surjewala, Amrinder Singh and Ghulam Nabi Azad as proposers.
Congress election process ‘makes a mockery of democratic values
The BJP ridiculed the election process appointing Rahul Gandhi the Congress president, terming it mockery of democratic norms.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who led a scathing attack on the Congress, likened Rahul’s imminent elevation to dynastic succession of Mughal rulers, and castigated the Congress for abandoning public modesty.
‘The Congress has abandoned all public modesty. It has gone bankrupt as it is going to make a person out on bail in a corruption case… Political parties will think many times before making those out on bail, even a district unit chief,’ Modi told a rally in Valsad district in election-bound Gujarat, apparently referring to the National Herald case.
![Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pictured here addressing an election campaign rally for state assembly election in Jamnagar on Monday, has hit out at Congress over the election](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/12/04/21/46FC08B500000578-5145195-image-a-5_1512424738251.jpg)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pictured here addressing an election campaign rally for state assembly election in Jamnagar on Monday, has hit out at Congress over the election
BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao too said all Congress leaders were forced to toe the line of the Gandhi family and anybody who objected to this dynastic rule run the risk of being removed from their posts.
‘The farcical election process and the sycophancy of all family faithfuls in hailing this process is a sad commentary on the grand old party. It shows the Congress’ total disconnect with today’s India which values meritocracy and not imposition of dynasty,’ Rao said.
‘It is a great fall for the party that had stalwarts leading it.’
Senior BJP leader and Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also took a swipe at the Congress, saying ordinary party workers were feeling humiliated with Rahul filing nomination for the post of party president.
Sarma, one of the most prominent leaders of the Congress in Assam before joining the saffron party, also said that despite belonging to the 21st century, Rahul missed a historical opportunity to free the Congress from dynastic and feudal politics.