AICC plenary set to project Rahul as credible challenger

New Delhi :  The 3-day AICC plenary session beginning here from Friday will project its new president Rahul Gandhi as a credible challenger of the united Opposition to pull down the Modi government in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections which may be even advanced in November-December to be held with the Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

The session, which will actually start only on Saturday in the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium built for the Asian Games in 1982 near the Delhi Police Headquarters, will formally ratify the election of Rahul who took over the party reins from Sonia Gandhi on December 16. An extended meeting of the CWC-turned into the steering committee will on Friday approve the resolutions to be placed in the plenary.

Half of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) members are supposed to be elected in the plenary while the rest nominated by the party president. Congress chief spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala, however, hinted on Thursday at no CWC elections as he said the elections have been held only five-six times in the 133-year history of the party.

Other party leaders said the elections are avoided to prevent division in the party and any rebels outside the official list getting elected creating problems in the highest decision-making body of the Congress.