Congress puts off polls to avoid hurdles to Rahul Gandhi's comeback

NEW DELHI: Congress has decided to again postpone its organizational elections, a move seen from the prism of Rahul Gandhi's growing political activism and the fear that internal polls could be a distraction.

Sources said the membership drive, extended from May to mid-June last month, would be prolonged again. However, the fresh postponement may not have a deadline and could be left open -“till further orders“. The fresh move raises uncertainty about the timing of the organizational polls.The AICC had in March announced that the party polls would start by July .

Though Congress managers attributed the back-toback, open-ended extension to requests from state units that they be given more time to enroll members, insiders said the decision was dictated by the political overdrive that Rahul has embarked upon.

The Gandhi scion is traveling to states, holding meetings with partymen and interactions with occupational groups like fishermen in Kerala and miners in Chhattisgarh. He intends to cover as many states as possible in the first stretch, seemingly enjoying the bump in his post-sabbatical avatar after the prolonged biting criticism over the 2014 defeat.

Given Rahul's new-found aggression, strategists are loathe to introduce a distraction. As party polls foment rivalries, they would take the focus away from Rahul's tours and the aspirations for party posts would blunt the momentum of the anti-BJP campaign.

The decision to push the polls forward, however, has reignited speculation about Rahul's coronation.

Sparks fly at party's Chhattisgarh 'chaupal'

Chhattisgarh Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel and ex-CM Ajit Jogi on Monday indulged in a heated exchange in front of Rahul Gandhi during a 'chaupal' (meeting) in Korba. The problem began when an activist, Alok Shukla, was convening the meeting and Jogi asked Baghel to let local tribals speak instead of people from other regions, thus triggering an argument. However, general secretary BK Hariprasad intervened and pacified them.