Congress meet on note ban protest plan

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.

As suspense continues over the elevation of Rahul Gandhi as Congress president, top leaders of the party will meet on October 30. Sources said party vice-president Rahul has convened a meeting of AICC office bearers, both general secretaries and in- charges of states, to discuss the nationwide protest it is planning on November 8, the first anniversary of demonetisation. While the process of organisational elections has been completed by all state party units, barring Kerala, the Congress Working Committee is yet to meet to clear the schedule for the election of the AICC president.

Asked about the delay, senior Congress leader Ajay Maken said organisational elections were on and the party has to take a decision by the end of the year to meet the Election Commission deadline. “All the Pradesh Congress committees have completed the elections. The election process is at an advanced stage,” he said.

The Congress high command also appeared to be bewildered by the Shiv Sena’s praise of Rahul Gandhi. Asked about Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut’s remark that Rahul was capable of leading the country, Maken said, “We in the Congress have always felt that he is our leader, vice-president and we think he is capable of leading the Congress, the UPA and the country.”