Congress to hold CWC elections in February, 1st time since 1997

The last time elections to the CWC were held was 25 years ago. The announcement comes a few months after Congress held its presidential polls in October.

Congress flags | Representational image | Photo: Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

New Delhi: The election for the Congress Working Committee (CWC) – the highest decision-making body of the Congress party – will take place during the party’s three-day plenary session in the later half of February, the party announced Monday.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal Monday said that the session will take place from 24-26 February in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur.

The last time elections to the CWC was held nearly 25 years ago in 1997.

The session will have 6 committees that will discuss specific issues and pass resolutions on the party’s strategies. These committees are: political, economy, international affairs, farmer issues and agriculture, social justice and empowerment, and education and unemployment.

There will also be a committee on constitutional amendments, a standard at all the party’s plenary sessions.

Earlier, Congress had been non-committal about elections to the CWC.

When the topic was broached during the Congress’ presidential elections in October, Chairman of the Congress Election Committee, Madhusudan Mistry, had said that the decision on CWC elections will be taken by the newly-elected president.

According to the party’s constitution, 12 of 23 seats in the CWC are elected positions while the rest are nominated.

“If there are more than 12 contenders, then there will be an election”, Mistry had said at the time.

Note: A previous version of the story mentioned the wrong year of the last CWC election. The error is regretted.