Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday said that the plenary session of the Congress is being held at a time when democracy and the Constitution are under threat and parliamentary institutions are faced with a serious crisis. Kharge was delivering the inaugural address at a meeting of the Steering Committee of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) in Nava Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
The Steering Committee of the party today unanimously decided to authorise party president Kharge to nominate all members of the working committee. The CWC has a total of 25 members, including the Congress president and the leader of the Congress in Parliament, besides 12 elected members and 11 nominated ones.
“The Steering Committee decided unanimously to empower the Congress president to nominate members to the CWC. We had a two-and-a-half-hour discussion on this issue,” party general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh said, reported The Indian Express.
He added that the decision was taken “keeping in mind the political challenges facing the country, facing the Congress party in its capacity as the main Opposition and keeping in mind the far-reaching amendments that we are going to bring about in our party’s Constitution.”
When asked if Gandhis were consulted at the meeting, Ramesh said that there was no video conferencing, and almost 45 members of the Steering Committee were present and presented their views.
Ahead of the meeting, party president Mallikarjun Kharge urged members to express freely and decide collectively. “As Congress president, I want to just urge you to express yourself freely and take a decision collectively. Whatever decision you take, that will be my decision and of everyone,” Kharge said in his inaugural address.
The Steering Committee started discussions at the beginning of the 85th plenary session and approved the agenda for the three-day conclave. The plenary session is being held from February 24 to 26 at Rajyotsav Sthal in Nava Raipur.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi who skipped the Steering Committee meeting, arrived in Raipur on Friday afternoon to attend the plenary session. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, his Rajasthan counterpart Ashok Gehlot, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal, state Congress chief Mohan Markam and other senior leaders of the party were present at the airport to welcome them.
Party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also not present at the Steering Committee meeting.