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Sorry Rahul! Sonia Gandhi gets one year extension as Congress President at CWC meet

Meanwhile, The Party Decides To Meet To Discuss The Key Agenda, We Speculate Whether Rahul Gandhi Will Finally Take Charge As Congress Presiden Or Not?

By : Devika Chhibber | Updated on: 08 Sep 2015, 06:16:52 PM

New Delhi :

On Tuesday, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi suffered a setback with party deciding to extend Sonia Gandhi's tenure by one year at Congress Working Committee (CWC) meet.

The CWC also decided to reserve 50 per cent of party posts for SC, ST, OBC and women.

In the meet Sonia also charged Prime Minister Narendra Modi of making empty promises and added, that PM has been reduced to "unedifying flip-flops" which has cast doubts on "what he really stood for."

During the CWC, Sonia made a speech and slammed Modi by saying, "It has become painfully clear that most of the pledges made by the Prime Minister during his election campaign were nothing more than 'hawabaazi'. The Modi government has failed abysmally to match words with deeds, to match media events with actual accomplishments, to match headlines with substance."

Since morning speculations were rife about the agenda of the meeting. Rahul Gandhi or Sonia Gandhi? All questions were answered at the high-profile meet today!

READ ALSO: Ahead of CWC meet, Rahul Gandhi calls meeting of CLP leaders

As speculated Rahul Gandhi was sidelined while Sonia Gandhi was aksed to continue her charge as Congress President for another year.

Ahead of the meet, sources believed that the party may wait for 2016 Assembly poll results before taking a decision on Rahul's leadership as they thought that Rahul Gandhi should be on a firm footing before taking over the reins of the party.

Awaiting the same, Congress considered postponing his elevation as president for at least another year especially in wake of Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, which are due in April-May 2016.

Reason often stated is that the Congress leadership does not want any setback in these polls to mar Rahul’s opening months in the top post.

Initially, Congress planned to move Rahul to the top slot after last year’s general elections, but the dismal performance in the Lok Sabha elections stopped them midway (Congress won 44 seats).

Then, the decision was to be taken at the end of 2015 after Sonia’s tenure completion but Rahul’s unexpected two-month sabbatical earlier this year to undisclosed destinations disconcerted the party.

Later talks in the party suggested that Rahul’s elevation may only come after the Bihar Assembly elections.

Today, when it is time for the decision, murmurs have started once again: he is not yet ready to take over. But Why?

Since his return from ‘vacation’, Rahul has been aggressive and really interested in party affairs but still Congress has not been able to show signs of making any recovery.

In Bihar, Congress is part of an alliance led by the Janata Dal (United)-Rashtriya Janata Dal combine. But Rahul Gandhi has shown no charisma in the poll-bound state. The fact that Mr Gandhi also did not accompany his mother Sonia at a rally in Bihar does not go unnoticed either.

Reports during the rally suggested that his absence from the ‘Swabhimaan’ rally was a result of his problems with RJD chief Lalu Prasad.

READ ALSO:Triple attack! Sonia, Nitish, Lalu target Narendra Modi

As far as 2016 Assembly polls are concerned, future of Congress again looks bleak.

In Assam, Congress has been in power for the last 15 years, but in recent days, the departure of senior leader Himanta Biswa Sharma and defection of Congress MLAs for the BJP has dealt a serious blow to the party; not to mention the anti-incumbency factor which will also hit Congress hard in state.

In Kerala the party-led United Democratic Front (UDF) is facing corruption charges against its government which might make roads for BJP in the state.

On the other hand, Congress is a non-starter in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and West Bengal for the time being.

Witnessing all the chaos and dilemma surrounding Congress, the decision was quite evident on Tuesday morning and as expected Rahul’s elevation was postponed while Sonia Gandhi got an extended tenure extended for another year.

Like it or not Rahul, despite your new avatar, ‘aap abhi karo thoda intezaar’!

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First Published : 08 Sep 2015, 09:22:00 AM

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