Leadership debate on, Congress hits out at Shashi Tharoor, Sandeep Dikshit

EXPLAINED |  What Congress needs to do if it hopes to play a role in Delhi politics again

While the Congress constitution says that 12 of the 23 members of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) will be elected by AICC delegates, the last time elections to the CWC were held was more than two decades ago in 1997 when Sitaram Kesri was the party president. Sonia Gandhi, who became Congress president in 1998, always nominated the CWC members — a practice many in the party believe promoted a culture of patronage.

“What Sandeep Dikshit said openly is what dozens of party leaders across the country are saying privately, including many with responsible positions. I renew my appeal to CWC to hold leadership elections …” Tharoor said.

READ | Shashi Tharoor, Sanjay Nirupam disagree over Dikshit’s remarks on next Congress chief

Dikshit, in an interview to The Indian Express, had slammed senior leaders for not electing a new leader after Rahul stepped down and argued that there were others capable of leading the party.

Tharoor called for elections for the 12 elected seats in the CWC as well as for the party presidency.

The party, meanwhile, criticised both Dikshit and Tharoor. “It was the CWC which elected the Congress president. If anybody has any illusions, they should read the resolution of the CWC…” Congress communication department head Randeep Surjewala told reporters.

“My request to all my colleagues is that…instead of pontificating to the whole country…first they take advantage of their work in their respective constituencies.”