This new body will decide on all aspects of fighting polls -- from ticket distribution to election campaign management to deciding where and how alliances can be made
New Delhi: After successive debilitating defeats in three Assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra and Delhi, the Congress Party is all set to constitute an election management committee. This new body will decide on all aspects of fighting polls -- from ticket distribution to election campaign management to deciding where and how alliances can be made. After being hit by three major setbacks in recent months, the Congress is revamping its entire election management strategy.
At present the Congress does not have a centralised command centre for taking all decisions. Instead, there are several committees doing the job, and often the roles are overlapping. These include the manifesto committee, screening committee, central election committee, alliance committee, etc. The idea is to have a centralised unit which can take dynamic decisions. The new committee will be called the Election Management Committee (EMC). The EMC will also take into account reports from Pradesh Election Committees (PECs) and conduct internal surveys before taking any decisions. The committee will also aim to balance caste, regional and factional equations when selecting candidates.
The test of the new committee will come with the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar later this year. Many leaders have said that the proposed election management committee should be headed by Wayanad Lok Sabha MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. A senior leader in the know of developments said, on condition of anonymity: “This committee will be looking into all electoral aspects, including alliances. So, somebody senior like Priyanka Ji should lead the committee. Since she is senior it will be easy for her to speak to senior leaders of the alliance partners for better coordination.”
Another Congress insider said: “The committee will screen ticket aspirants based on winnability, loyalty, and performance. Candidates with poor electoral records or controversial backgrounds may be rejected. This will make the committee one of the most powerful within the party, and its chief will emerge as a key power centre.”
Ms Priyanka Vadra’s involvement will ensure that the charge of favouritism, which is often faced by those in charge of various states during ticket distribution, will be negated. Her active participation in the committee will also bring gravitas to the entire exercise. Interestingly, she has been holding long meetings with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge about her role in the organisation. Mr Kharge has already told the state in-charges and general secretaries that accountability for losses in state elections will be fixed on them.
