Congress Heads For Key Reform With Loophole For Gandhis: 10 Points

Amid attempts by the Congress to reboot ahead of crucial polls, the party is also debating an age ceiling besides a term limit for Rajya Sabha members.

Rahul Gandhi and senior leader Ashok Gehlot speak while on their way to Udaipur for Chintan Shivir.

New Delhi: An age limit for elections or party positions is high on the agenda as the Congress begins a three-day "Chintan Shivir" or introspection in Rajasthan's Udaipur today. A "One Family, One Ticket" rule will return with a rider that exempts the Gandhis.

Here are the top 10 updates on this big story:

  1. Congress president Sonia Gandhi will address the party leaders at the Chintan Shivir, which was called in the aftermath of the opposition party's five-state debacle in recent elections. Around 400 leaders are attending the brainstorming session.

  2. On the "One Family, One Ticket" rule, which bars more than one person from a family from contesting elections, the Congress has hinted in advance that this may spare the Gandhis - Sonia Gandhi and her children Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

  3. "There is unanimity on this rule. If family members still want to contest them they should have been active for five years," said Congress leader Ajay Maken. Asked whether the Gandhis are exempted, he replied: "They are active for the last five years. Priyanka Gandhi started working formally for the party in 2018."

  4. The rider to the rule, which leaves all three Gandhis eligible to contest, signals a loophole that reinforces critics' views that the party will attempt no more than cosmetic changes at a time there are calls for a big overhaul.

  5. Amid attempts by the Congress to reboot ahead of crucial polls, the party is also debating an age ceiling besides a term limit for Rajya Sabha members. The meeting will deliberate on drawing in more leaders below 50 with at least half the positions in the party reserved for them.

  6. "No person should be in a post for more than five years and there should be a cooling off period for three years," Mr Maken said.

  7. Congress leader Manick Tagore, a Rahul Gandhi loyalist, had told NDTV on Thursday: "The party has to represent the youth since 60 per cent of India's population is below 40, this has to reflected in all our party units and posts we hold too."

  8. The Congress also plans discussions on "communal polarisation" and preps for state polls and the 2024 national election, leaders say.

  9. Six groups have been formed, and they will take up subjects related to the organisation, the economic and political situation in the country, social justice, farmers and youth. "Every group will have 60 to 70 people. No paper discussion will take place," news agency ANI quoted sources as saying.

  10. Amid calls by a section of the party for his return as Congress president, Rahul Gandhi is expected to address the meeting on the last day.



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