Asia > Southern Asia > India > Rahul Gandhi may become Congress President in August or November

India: Rahul Gandhi may become Congress President in August or November

2016/07/16

The stage is finally set for Rahul Gandhi to take charge of Congress. The Congress vice-president is likely to become president at a appropriate All India Congress Committee session. Delhi is the likely venue. The session may be held in the latter half of August or in middle November.

Sonia Gandhi, the party president since 1998, will step down in favour of her son, but she is likely to retain her role as chairperson of Congress parliamentary party (CPP).

The new president will start with a new team. Post his elevation to party president, Rahul Gandhi is likely to result a massive organisational reshuffle.

New general secretaries are likely to be appointed, inclunding other office bearers. Fresh appointees and experienced Congress leaders will both be in Rahul Gandhi's team.

Priyanka Gandhi is unlikely to assume any formal role in this session. She may assume the post of general secretary (organisation) at a later date.

It is as well unlikely she will take a formal position in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh's national Congress unit.

Congress is looking at latter half of August or middle November because birthdays of Rajiv Gandhi (August 20), Jawaharlal Nehru (November 14) and Indira Gandhi (November 17) fall in these periods.

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