New Delhi: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has begun interviewing candidates as the party high command steps up the process of appointing new All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretaries, sources told ThePrint. The interviews are expected to continue over the next couple days till 11 September, with around 25-30 names likely to be finalised out of nearly 150 prospects.
The new team is expected to include multiple new faces as Rahul looks to reshape Congress’s organisational structure.
The vetting process has been underway behind the scenes for some time, with the party carrying out a detailed exercise to screen potential candidates before calling them in for interviews.
Party General Secretary K.C. Venugopal had sought details of the work done by the candidates and their previous organisational responsibilities. Feedback was also sought from leaders in the states, following which a report was prepared.
Venugopal’s office playing key role
Venugopal’s office has been playing a significant role in shortlisting candidates for interviews. State in-charges and senior party leaders have been recommending names, but according to sources, not all candidates backed by senior leaders have been called in. Some who secured recommendation letters from several leaders have still not received an interview call.
“Having Venugopal’s backing is important in the process. No matter who recommends a candidate, the call is taken by someone else,” said a Congress leader familiar with the ongoing exercise.
One such candidate told ThePrint, on the condition of anonymity, “I have been with the party since I was 18. I have extensively organised the Bharat Jodo Yatra in my state. I have had three senior leaders write letters for me, but due to someone close to the high command (Venugopal) being upset with me, I am not getting a chance. I have worked really hard and given my soul to the party. If I am not even given a chance to interview, I will have doubts.”
The interview
Those who have made it through the vetting stage are now being interviewed by Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at 10 Janpath, Delhi.
The interviews are being conducted in groups of around 10, rather than one-on-one meetings. Each session lasts around 30-45 minutes, according to candidates who have appeared for the interviews.
Rahul began a two-day visit to Rae Bareli Tuesday and the process will continue as soon as he is back.
Candidates are being asked about their biodata and the organisational responsibilities they have handled so far in the party. The Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition is also seeking their views on the political situation in their respective states, the current national political environment and international affairs.
“I got a call from KC’s (Venugopal) office. I did not apply for this. The interview was in a group setting, and the questions were based on biodata. Mr Gandhi was also keen on knowing our political and international views. The grouping was random,” one of the candidates interviewed by Rahul said.
Another candidate told ThePrint that the exercise felt like a “proper interview process”, with no fixed set of questions. “There was no set pattern of questions, and Gandhi asked whoever whatever he wanted.”
According to some who have appeared for the interviews, the questions vary candidate to candidate, with Rahul moving from organisational record, to state politics, and understanding of national and international developments.
‘Young leaders unhappy over exclusion’
The process has also caused some discontent within the party, it is learnt. Some younger Congress leaders who have worked in the organisation for years, but were not called for interviews have been unhappy with the way the shortlist was prepared.
For some of them, the issue is not just about getting the secretary post, but also about not being given the opportunity to appear for the interview despite years of organisational work and recommendations from senior leaders. Leaders involved in the process said that this could have a demoralising effect on those who were expecting organisational responsibilities after years of work.
There is also some friction over the decision to interview leaders who already hold such responsibilities. Sources told ThePrint that Rahul is looking to bring in new faces and considering leaders who do not currently hold major organisational ranks, although some existing office-bearers have also been called in for the exercise.
A senior Congress leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, questioned the manner in which the process was being conducted.
“Good for those who get selected, but those who are left out will have a bitter taste in their mouth as they have been rejected by the head of the party. The exercise should have been planned better and more democratically,” the leader said.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
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Rahul Gandhi does not deserve to be a politician, he is there only because he is from a family. Congress party is doomed.