Rahul again? Will Congress get a non-Gandhi president? The possibilities explained

The resignation of veteran leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has shaken things up in the Congress – or so it seems. The party has announced the elections of its president in October, a decision that was taken on Sunday, two days after Azad quit.

The last election for the Congress president’s post was held more than two decades ago, in November 2000. On Sunday, the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the highest decision-making body of the party, approved the election for its president’s post on October 17; the results will be declared on October 19.

Also read: Four cautionary tales of Congress: A title holder, a contender, a rebel and a loyalist

If Congress insiders are to be believed, Rahul Gandhi is reluctant to take on the role. With several high-profile leaders quitting the party in the last few months citing reasons from shortcomings of the top brass to lack of ground-level presence, there’s a lot of buzz around the appointment of a “non-Congress” president.

We take a look at names doing the rounds.

Shashi Tharoor throws his hat in the ring?

Shashi Tharoor is the latest Congress leader to join the list of probables who could become the party chief. The Thiruvananthapuram MP called for a “free and fair” election in an article which appeared in the Malayalam daily Mathrubhumi.

Tharoor said that “the leadership vacuum at the top” had a damaging effect on the party and called the election of a “fresh president” the start towards the revitalisation the Congress badly needs.

“Allowing members of the party drawn from the AICC (All India Congress Committee) and PCC delegates to determine who will lead the party from these key positions, would have helped legitimise the incoming set of leaders and give them a credible mandate to lead the party,” said Tharoor. He was among the group of 23 leaders who wrote to Sonia Gandhi in 2020 demanding organisational reforms.

In the latest article, Tharoor spoke about the increasing global interest in the British Conservative Party amid the ongoing leadership bid and suggested that the Congress polls would increase national interest in the party and “galvanise more voters towards” it once again. “For this reason, I hope that several candidates come forward to present themselves for consideration. Putting forward their visions for the party and the nation will surely stir public interest,” he wrote.

After the article, media reports suggested that Tharoor was “exploring the possibility” of running for Congress president but has yet to take a final call on it. “He has not made up his mind, but could take a call on it soon,” said sources quoted by news agency Press Trust of India.

When asked if he would contest the election in October, the Congress leader did not confirm or deny the possibility. “I have no comment to make. I accept what I’ve written in my article, which is that an election would be a good thing for the Congress party,” the former Union Minister said referring to his article in Mathrubhumi, reports NDTV.

In a cryptic tweet, citing Swami Vivekananda, Tharoor wrote, “I do not believe in reform; I believe in growth…”

“I do not just believe in reform; I believe in growth. I do not dare… to dictate to our society, ‘This way thou shouldst move.’ I simply want to be like the squirrel in the building of Râma’s bridge, who was content to offer his little quota of sand-dust.” ~ Swami Vivekananda

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) August 30, 2022

Mallikarjun Kharge name comes up

Another name which has come up amid talks of change in the Congress leadership is that of Congress Rajya Sabha MP Mallikarjun Kharge, reports News18.

However, Kharge himself insists that Rahul Gandhi should lead the Congress party since he has the ability to lift the party from the crisis.

Speaking to ANI on Sunday, Kharge said, “Today the whole situation has become clear regarding the election of Congress party president. I have my personal opinion and it is the feeling of all the workers that Rahul Gandhi should take the lead of the Congress party at this time. He should become the president of the Congress party.”

“Rahul Gandhi is the only one who can lift the Congress. He can unify and strengthen the party. Only he has the ability to assemble people even in the Bharat Jodo programme,” added the veteran leader.

Will it be Ashok Gehlot?

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s name was the first to come up. He met interim Congress chief Sonia Gandhi last week, sparking buzz that he is the frontrunner for the president’s post.

According to media reports, Gandhi requested him to take over the party before she headed for a medical check-up abroad.

However, the Rajasthan leader has sought to downplay reports about him becoming the Congress chief, saying that efforts will be made until the last minute to persuade Rahul Gandhi to take over the reins of the party again.

So is it back to Rahul?

Other than Tharoor, the two senior leaders have reiterated that the Gandhi scion should take over the party boss’s role. Even Congress’ Salman Khurshid has said that Rahul was the top choice as the party’s president.

“Frankly from everybody that I have spoken to or I have sensed their opinion, he [Gandhi] remains the number one [choice] and he remains the only one,” Khurshid said. “We have no indications as to whether he will accept our request.”

In July 2019, Rahul resigned as the Congress chief following the party’s poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections.

When his name came up earlier in the month, Rahul refused to contest the election for the Congress president’s post. Incumbent Congress president Sonia Gandhi also reportedly expressed her desire not to continue in the post citing health reasons.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal has said that it was an open and fair election. “Whosoever wants to be president, should file a nomination,” he claimed.

The chances of a non-Gandhi president

There is a possibility that in the October election a non-Gandhi would take over the reins of the party. This will help Congress take on the BJP, which has always accused it of dynasty politics.

The Gandhi camp will also be able to quell the dissenting G-23 group, which is now weakened with the exit of Azad and Kapil Sibal. Its biggest demand so far has been that of a “full-time president”.

So far Tharoor has not confirmed if he is contesting the election but if no leader from the G-23 bloc comes forward, it would stand exposed as all talk, reports News18.

A look at the past

The last non-Gandhi president of Congress was Sitaram Kesri. He was appointed in September 1996 and continued until March 1998 when he was ousted by Gandhi loyalists who believed he was building his coterie. Back then, Sonia Gandhi was forced to take up the post. Senior leader Jitendra Prasada contested the election against her but lost.

If a non-Gandhi becomes the president, there’s a possibility that their authority will be undermined by the family. But if Congress is back to its old ways, it will reinforce the allegation that the party is not willing to change, giving the G-23 a reason to continue being displeased and the BJP a chance to carry on its attack on the party.

For the grand old party, it seems like there is no easy way out.

With inputs from agencies

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