The newly formed 34-member Congress steering committee will hold its first meeting on Saturday at 4 pm, party president Rahul Gandhi said on Friday. The steering committee will meet to decide on the schedule for the plenary session, which is likely to be held before the start of the second part of Budget Session of Parliament on 5 March. [caption id=“attachment_4332967” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]
File image of Congress President Rahul Gandhi. PTI[/caption] The session is likely to ratify Rahul’s elevation as president of the party. Rahul
had dissolved
the Congress Working Committee (CWC), party’s highest decision-making body, and constituted a new 34-member steering committee that will function for the party’s upcoming plenary session. The new members of the CWC will be elected either at the plenary or after it. While all CWC members are part of the new committee, some of the permanent invitees like Amarinder Singh, Vilas Muttemwar, RK Dhawan, Shivajirao Deshmukh, MV Rajasekharan and Mohsina Kidwai, as well all special invitees have been dropped. “Rahul Gandhi has constituted a Steering Committee for the forthcoming plenary session as per Article XV (vii) (b) of the party Constitution. The Steering Committee will function in place of the Working Committee of the party,” said party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi in a statement. The 34 members in the steering committee are Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, AK Antony, Ahmed Patel, Ambika Soni, BK Hariprasad, CP Joshi, Digvijay Singh, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Hemo Prova Saikia, Janardan Dwivedi, Kamal Nath, Mohan Prakash, Motilal Vora, Mukul Wasnik, Sushila Tiriya, Mallikarjun Kharge, Ashok Gehlot, K.C. Venugopal, Avinash Pande, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Deepak Babaria, PC Chacko, Asha Kumari, A Chella Kumar, RPN Singh, PL Punia, RC Khuntai, Karan Singh, P Chidambaram, Oscar Fernandes, Anand Sharma and Randeep Singh Surjewala. Rahul formally took over as the new Congress president assuming the mantle of the country’s oldest political party on 16 December, 2017. This was the first major organisational shake-up done by the Gandhi scion after he took over the party’s reins from his mother.
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Rahul had dissolved the Congress Working Committee (CWC), party’s highest decision-making body, and constituted a new 34-member steering committee that will function for the party’s upcoming plenary session.
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“The fact of the matter is that the prime minister has destroyed the financial system of the country with politicies like demonetisation. He told the people to put money into the banks. Now his friends and cronies are stealing it from the banks,” he said, in a short press briefing.
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“Narendra Modi teaches students how to appear for exams. But does not say who’s responsible for Nirav Modi fraud. The question is he took the money from the country’s pockets. He told the citizens to put money in the bank and that it will be secure. Now he’s not uttering a word,” Congress president Rahul Gandhi at media briefing.
Steering committee meeting continues in 24, Akbar Road
Tight security outside AICC headquarters
While meeting is continuing behind closed doors at AICC headquarters, there is tight security cover by SPG and Delhi police personnel outside. The workers of Sewa Dal, which is the frontal organization of Congress, wearing their traditional white uniform and Gandhi topi are guarding the venue and.making preparations for Rahul Gandhi’s press briefing.
Rahul Gandhi chairs first steering committee meet
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Saturday chaired the first meeting of the party’s steering committee, formed after dissolving the Central Working Committee, to finalise the schedule of plenary session.
Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party, Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, besides other leaders like AK Antony, Ahmed Patel, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge attended the meeting.
The party’s plenary session, to be attended by all AICC delegates who elected the new Congress chief, is likely to be held before 5 March when the second part of Budget Session of Parliament starts.
While all past CWC members are part of the new committee, some permanent invitees like Amarinder Singh, Vilas Muttemwar, RK Dhawan, Shivajirao Deshmukh, MV Rajasekharan and Mohsina Kidwai, and all special invitees have been dropped from the new panel.
PTI
Visual from outside Congress headquarters before the meet
Meet to discuss upcoming elections, national issues like unemployment
According to sources, the other areas of discussion will be regarding the bye-elections, upcoming state elections, issues that needs to be raised like unemployment among youth, agrarian crisis, joblessness, strengthening the party at grassroots, restructuring etc.
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Who’s in the steering committee?
This steering committee constituted by Rahul Gandhi has 34 members. Besides the old CWC members, the new ones in the committee are Randeep Surjewala, Deepak Bawaria, Sushila Tiriya, Anand Sharma. The new members have been included as they are in charge of Media and states like Madhya Pradesh and others.
Significance of Congress steering committee meet
This steering committee will function is place of Congress Working Committee till the formation of a new CWC. Saturday’s meeting is very important because major discussions will take place regarding formation of new CWC about the members to be in the new team. This will be endorsed in the plenary session in March.
Full house: Members of the new steering committee ready for the discussion headed by Rahul Gandhi.
Image procured by Debobrat Ghose
About the steering committee
Rahul Gandhi formed a steering committee as per party constitution ahead of the plenary session. This committee has replaced the previous Congress Working Committee (CWC). That’s because after a new president takes over, CWC is dissolved and new committee is formed.
This steering committee functions till a new CWC is formed. Under Rahul, new CWC will be finalised at the Plenary Session of Congress to be held in March.
Congress steering committee meeting to begin shortly
Congress president Rahul Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and other members getting ready for the Steering Committee meeting at 24 Akbar Road.
This is the second big meeting of the Congress at organization level headed by Rahul Gandhi. The first one was the CWC meeting in December headed by Rahul immediately after becoming party president.
Image procured by Debobrat Ghose
Visuals from Congress headquarters