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Rahul Gandhi likely to take over as Congress president on Dec 5

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9 years ago

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Rahul Gandhi likely to take over as Congress president on Dec 5

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Polling on December 16 but Rahul may be declared chief after scrutiny of nominations on Dec 5 in absence of a challenger, no clarity on role for Sonia Gandhi

After months of dilly-dallying over the timing of the inevitable elevation of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi to replace his mother Sonia Gandhi as chief of the Grand Old Party, decks were cleared, on Monday, for the heir-apparent to take over the reins of the 131-year-old political party.

On Monday, at a meeting of the extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) – the apex decision making body of the 131-year-old party – that was chaired by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the party leadership cleared the schedule for the internal elections for the post of Congress president.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As several Congress leaders claimed anonymously, the elevation of Rahul as the next Congress president, is a foregone conclusion and as such, the election – scheduled forDecember 16 is only a formality – one that in all certainty might not even take place.

According to the election schedule cleared by the CWC, notification for the election of the Congress president will be issued on December 1, the last date for filing nominations for the polls will be December 4 while scrutiny of the nomination papers and declaration of the list of “valid candidates” will take place on the very next day.

Given the sycophancy that is characteristic of the Congress party, which in late former Prime Minister PV Narsimha Rao’s words functions like “a train where the compartments have to be attached to an engine belonging to the Nehru-Gandhi family”, it is certain that no party leader would challenge Rahul in the election.

Sources in the CWC say that in the absence of a challenger the Nehru-Gandhi scion could be declared elected as the Congress president on December 5 itself. The other possibility is that the party may make the announcement on December 11, which the CWC has declared as the date for publication of the final list of contesting candidates.

However, considering that the party leadership seems to believe that elevating Rahul as Congress president days before the first phase of polling for the Gujarat Assembly (onDecember 9) could give the Grand Old Party’s campaign in the state some added heft, it is likely that the result for this faux election will be declared in December 5 and notDecember 11.

A senior party leader told APNLive that while election rules “make it necessary for declaring  date of polling and date of counting, neither of these dates is likely to come into play as we expect Rahul to be elected to the Congress president’s post unanimously… this can be done immediately after the scrutiny of nomination papers”.

Central office bearers of the party, delegates from different states and union territories, state unit chiefs, party MPs and legislators are expected to cast their votes in the election which would have over 8000 partymen constituting the electoral college.

The election for the Congress president has, since 1998, largely been a formality – one that is carried out only to unanimously endorse Sonia Gandhi as the party chief.

In fact, in the past 70 years the Congress leadership has constantly avoided a full-fledged election for the post of the party president and hoped to elect a leader through “consensus” in order to avoid the impression that the leadership doesn’t enjoy the unquestioned support of all Congressmen and factions that often fight against each other at the state-level.

The exception to this “election by consensus” was last witnessed on November 12, 2000 when party veteran Jitendra Prasada decided to challenge Sonia Gandhi but ended up facing a humiliating defeat. Prasada, a Congress war-horse and six-time MP who hailed from Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh had managed to secure only 94 votes in his favour in the election while Sonia Gandhi – who had then joined active politics less than a year ago – had won 7448 votes of her party delegates. Sonia has, since being nominated party president in 1997 and then elected to the post in 2000, held the office for 199 years, becoming the longest serving president of the 131-year-old party.

The other occasion when the Congress saw an election for the post of party chief was in July 1997 when veteran Sitaram Kesri trounced heavyweights like Sharad Pawar (then a Congress leader) and Rajesh Pilot. Pawar and Pilot had decided to contest the polls against Kesri despite efforts by several Congress leaders to avoid an election.

However, as Congress leaders point out, Rahul’s election is unlikely to see him pitted against any other candidate.

It is not immediately clear as to what role Sonia Gandhi will be offered within the party once her son takes over the mantle of the Congress president. The Congress constitution has no provision for appointing a person as ‘patron’, ‘guiding light’ or ‘mentor’ for the party. Senior Congress leaders say that the CWC could, following Rahul’s elevation, meet to amend the party constitution and carve out a designation that “befitting of Sonia Gandhi”.

Introducing a designation in the party constitution is not a move without precedent in the Congress party. In fact, even the post of Congress vice president – the one that Rahul currently holds – was not part of the original Congress constitution but was added in the late 1980s at the insistence of Rajiv Gandhi to accommodate Arjun Singh. Following Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination in 1991 and Arjun Singh’s return to a ministerial role in the Narsimha Rao government, the post of vice president was left unoccupied till 1997 when Sitaram Kesri revived it to accommodate Jitendra Prasada. Prasada had helped Kesri defeat Pilot and Pawar in the election for the party chief’s post.

Congress leaders say that owing to her poor health, Sonia has already passed on the responsibility of taking most crucial decisions on behalf of the party to her son. While the party leadership would certainly want Sonia to carry on her association with the party’s functioning in some capacity – especially to oversee the transition from her ‘Old Guard’ to Rahul’s ‘New Guard’ – it is expected that an announcement on her new role will take place only after her son’s appointment as party chief is formalised.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Case registered against Mamata Banerjee over controversial 2025 religion remark

A formal police case has been registered against Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee in Siliguri, West Bengal. The complaint alleges that her 2025 “Ganda Dharm” remark targeted Hinduism and hurt the religious sentiments of the community.

Published

8 hours ago

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May 27, 2026

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Mamata Banerjee

A formal police complaint has been lodged against Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal’s Siliguri. The legal action stems from an alleged derogatory remark regarding Hinduism made during an Eid congregation in Kolkata in 2025.

The case was registered following a complaint filed by a local lawyer, Rinki Chatterjee, who alleged that the former Chief Minister’s comments deeply hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus globally.

Legal charges and complaint details

The police have invoked multiple sections under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against Banerjee, including Section 351(1) for criminal intimidation, Section 352 for intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace, and Section 353 for promoting feelings of enmity, hatred, or ill will between different communities.

According to the complaint, the controversy traces back to an Eid event organized on Kolkata’s iconic Red Road in 2025. While delivering a speech targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Banerjee purportedly referred to the version of Hinduism championed by the political rival as “Ganda Dharm” (filthy religion).

Chatterjee stated in her complaint that labeling Sanatan Dharma in such a manner at a religious gathering was “absolutely unacceptable”. The complainant also pointed to other instances where senior TMC leaders allegedly targeted Hinduism, adding that Banerjee made indirect threats to the Hindu community during the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election campaign to influence voters through intimidation.

Political responses to the FIR

The reported statements had previously drawn sharp criticism from the state BJP leadership last year, including strong objections from current Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. However, this FIR represents the first formal legal action taken regarding the speech.

When approached for a response, Atri Sharma, a lawyer and general secretary of the TMC’s Darjeeling unit, declined to comment officially as a party spokesperson. However, he noted that many within the party internal circles found the remarks inappropriate at the time they were spoken. Sharma acknowledged that holding a high public office required restraint and affirmed that every individual holds the moral right to pursue legal remedies.

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Congress Dismisses Karnataka Leadership Transition Rumors After Six-Hour Delhi Meet

The Congress party has rejected ongoing rumors regarding a leadership change or a rotating Chief Minister formula in Karnataka, stating that a recent six-hour meeting in Delhi focused strictly on the upcoming Rajya Sabha and MLC elections.

Published

23 hours ago

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May 26, 2026

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The Congress party has strongly downplayed the intense political buzz surrounding a potential leadership transition or a change in the Chief Minister’s post in Karnataka. Following a marathon six-hour meeting with the state’s top leadership in New Delhi, the party explicitly rejected the ongoing speculation, labeling it as having “no reality.”

A brief statement issued to the media after the high-level meeting advised against spreading rumors, clarifying that the discussions were entirely centered on upcoming electoral strategies rather than structural changes within the state government. The party stated that the deliberations solely revolved around the state’s three vacant Rajya Sabha seats and the upcoming Member of Legislative Council (MLC) elections.

Rajya Sabha and MLC Polls Take Center Stage

The high-stakes meeting was attended by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leader Rahul Gandhi, and party General Secretary KC Venugopal, alongside Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.

Briefing the media post-meeting, KC Venugopal stated that conversations were strictly confined to the Rajya Sabha and MLC elections, emphasizing that there is no truth to any other political speculation. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also confirmed that the agenda of a potential cabinet expansion or a leadership shift did not come up during the six-hour-long discussion.

Background of the Power Struggle

The question of leadership in Karnataka has remained a recurring theme for over a year. Supporters of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar have consistently maintained that the central leadership promised a rotating Chief Ministership arrangement when the government was formed after the 2023 assembly elections.

Speculation had intensified recently as the ruling government faced local anti-incumbency pressures alongside renewed political activity from the opposition bench. Some internal reports had even indicated a push from within certain sections of the high command, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, for a leadership revamp.

Balancing Caste Equations and Party Structure

The central leadership has navigated the situation cautiously to maintain political stability. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, 80, commands a powerful “Ahinda” support base—a coalition comprising minority communities, backward classes, and Dalits. This social alliance was crucial in helping the party navigate the traditional Vokkaliga and Lingayat caste dynamics during the 2023 elections.

Although the rotation issue had previously gained significant momentum when the government completed two years in office, the party high command had chosen to maintain the status quo to avoid any adverse electoral impact in neighboring assembly elections, such as in Tamil Nadu. With those elections concluded, supporters of the 64-year-old Deputy Chief Minister had expressed optimism for a transition. Shivakumar currently holds the dual responsibility of being the Deputy Chief Minister as well as the state Congress chief, signaling his critical organizational value to the party. However, for the time being, the party high command has firmly signaled that the current leadership structure will remain unchanged.

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India News

Congress high command steps in to resolve Karnataka leadership impasse with crucial Delhi meeting

The Congress leadership, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, is holding a vital meeting in Delhi with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to find a definitive solution to the state’s prolonged leadership impasse.

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1 day ago

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May 26, 2026

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The top leadership of the Congress party is scheduled to hold a high-level meeting at its headquarters in the national capital today morning to address the long-standing leadership dispute in Karnataka. Senior leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and MP Rahul Gandhi, will lead the discussions aimed at resolving the continuous friction between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.

The ongoing power struggle over the state’s top position has persisted since the party’s electoral victory in 2023. For the current session, only Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been called to join the discussions in Delhi. When questioned about the agenda by reporters, the Chief Minister stated that he was unaware of the specific subjects to be discussed, noting that political speculation is inevitable.

Background of the internal division

The internal friction intensified significantly in November 2025 when the state government completed its two-and-a-half-year mark in office. Supporters of the Deputy Chief Minister pointed to a purported unacknowledged internal arrangement suggesting a rotational chief ministership split equally across the five-year term. Despite multiple prior interventions by central party leadership to manage the internal friction, a permanent resolution has remained elusive.

While Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has not been invited to this morning’s initial session, indications suggest that separate individual discussions and a potential joint meeting involving both leaders are planned as part of the broader resolution process. Observers note that several state ministers and legislators have also traveled to the national capital as the party leadership aims to settle the administrative roadmap and finalise leadership plans before the next assembly elections.

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