Sonia set to be Congress chief for record fourth time

NEW DELHI: The Congress Working Committee met here on Monday to finalise the election process and the dates for the election of the AICC president. Ms Sonia Gandhi is expected to win the election uncontested.

Congress general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi said that the election would be notified on August 27 and the last date of filing nominations would be September 2. Polling, if required, will be held on September 17 and results will be declared on September 21.

After 12 years in the saddle, Ms Sonia Gandhi, who took over as party chief in 1998, is the longest serving president. Only Sanjiva Reddy and K Kamaraj have had the distinction on three terms as party chief.
Ms Gandhi took over the reins of the Congress following the party’s dismal showing in the Lok Sabha polls, and the ensuing exit of Sitaram Kesri from the post.

Ms Gandhi has been unanimously elected, except once, when senior Uttar Pradesh leader Jitendra Prasada contested the polls against her and lost.

If a poll will be held, counting of votes will be held on September 21. This is also the schedule for the election of the PCC presidents in various states.

PCC delegates, who constitute a total of 7,946, form the electoral college for the Congress president’s election , which is held in Delhi as also in state headquarters.

The election for the party chief’s post is expected to witness Gandhi’s fourth term for the top office of the party, which is completing 125 years of its inception.