New Delhi: The Congress on Monday decided to postpone its internal elections to choose a new president on account of the alarming situation of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a Congress Working Committee meeting held in January, the party postponed the internal elections until June 2021, keeping in mind the impending assembly elections in four states and one union territory in May.
The January meeting was held amidst growing demands by a rebel group of 23 leaders to fix the leadership issue in the party, and replace the interim president Sonia Gandhi by choosing a new leader who can steer the party in the future. The Gandhi loyalists had then prevailed over the rebels by postponing the elections until June 2021, citing that the party should focus on the assembly elections following which a new leader could be elected.
However, the CWC met again on Monday to unanimously agree that June may not be apt to conduct party elections amidst the challenges. The Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal said that the party elections have been only “temporarily” suspended and will be conducted once the pandemic is in control. He added that the interim president Sonia Gandhi is committed to holding the internal polls, and the “deferment is not open-ended”.
The CWC meeting came on the heels of the party’s unprecedented poor show in the assembly elections. Not only could it secure a victory in Kerala and Assam where it was looking to topple the incumbent state governments, it also could not open its account in the West Bengal assembly for the first time in the recent past. Its performance was below par in both Tamil Nadu, where it was an ally in the DMK-led winning coalition, and in Puducherry, where failed to defeat the regional NR Congress which won the elections.
The working committee, thus, decided to constitute fact-finding committees for each of these states “within 48 hours” and “fix responsibility” for the electoral debacle, according to Venugopal. Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that the fact-finding committees will be required to submit their reports as early as possible so that the party can introspect and work towards course correction.
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Answering a question on whether the Gandhi loyalists have again dodged an attack by rebels, spokesperson Randeep Surjewala emphasised that this was not the case, and that the party was looking at a time period of “2-3 months” for the pandemic to stabilise so that elections could be held. “The elections require Congress members to come out, line up and vote. This will be impossible in the current situation as many states have announced a complete lockdown. Moreover, the party also wants to concentrate on its relief efforts during the pandemic.”
During the Monday meeting, general secretaries-in-charge for election-bound states – Jitender Singh for Assam, Tariq Anwar for Kerala, in-charge Dinesh Gundurao for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and Jitin Prasada for West Bengal – made their presentations. Former president and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi could not attend the meeting as he was still recovering from COVID-19, Surjewala told reporters.
Earlier in the morning, Sonia Gandhi, in her initial address before the meeting, trained her guns on the Narendra Modi government for mishandling the pandemic. Taking off from her speech in the last CWC meeting on April 17, she said, “In these past four weeks, the COVID-19 situation has become even more catastrophic. Governance failures have become even more stark. Scientific advice has been wilfully ignored and the country is paying a horrendous price for the Modi government’s neglect of the pandemic, indeed its wilful patronage of super-spreader events that were allowed for partisan gains. A far deadlier second wave has now overwhelmed us.”
She added that “some scientists have now cautioned about a third wave overtaking us soon” which is why “some states have already announced a complete lockdown”.
She spoke about how even as people are struggling to get access to basic health facilities, the government is pursuing “grandiose projects” like the Rs 20,000 crore worth Central Vista project, and indulging in “vain triumphalism”. The Congress party, she said, has set up COVID-19 control rooms in many states and has been helping to organise ambulances, temporary beds, oxygen concentrators and medicines, while specially mentioning the role of the Indian Youth Congress for its widely-appreciated relief efforts.
Regarding the electoral losses, Gandhi said, “We need to candidly understand why in Kerala and Assam we failed to dislodge the incumbent governments, and why in West Bengal we drew a complete blank. These will yield uncomfortable lessons, but if we do not face up to the reality, if we do not look the facts in the face, we will not draw the right lessons.”
Addressing a press conference, Venugopal and Surjewala read out the two resolutions passed in the meeting. The first, while criticising the government’s role, lashed out at the mandatory online registration process for vaccination which the party thought excluded a great number of people in rural India. It also hit out at the Modi government’s vaccination policy in which states were forced to buy the vaccines at prices much higher than the Centre. The resolution also criticised the alleged underreporting of COVID-19-related deaths by the Union health ministry.
The second resolution talked about the deferment of the internal elections.
You can read the full text of both resolutions below.
First resolution
The Congress Working Committee met today amidst an unprecedented public health crisis. The second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic is nothing short of a grave calamity and a direct consequence of the Modi government’s indifference, insensitivity and incompetence. It is the direct result of the central government’s willful disregard of scientific advice, its premature declaration of victory over the pandemic (that turned out to be just the first wave), and its unwillingness and inability to plan in advance in spite of warnings sounded not only by public health experts but also by the Standing Committee of Parliament concerned.
The Congress Working Committee is deeply concerned about the Modi government’s vaccination strategy. Vaccine supplies are grossly insufficient, yet the government denies the hard facts. The pricing policy is opaque and discriminatory. And contrary to economic and all other logic, the government has passed on the financial responsibility for vaccinating the 18-44 year population to the State governments, which are already facing severe financial stress. Worse, the mandatory online registration without a walk-in option will exclude — and may have already excluded —millions of our citizens, particularly those in rural areas and those belonging to the weaker sections of society. Dr. Manmohan Singh wrote to the Prime Minister after the last meeting of the CWC on April 17, 2021 giving five specific suggestions to increase vaccine supplies and coverage. However, instead of taking his suggestions in the constructive spirit in which they were offered, the Prime Minister instructed the Union Health Minister to reply to Dr. Manmohan Singh in a most undignified manner.
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Since the last meeting of the Congress Working Committee, it is widely noticed that the infection has traveled massively into rural areas with zero access to RT PCR testing, medicines, oxygen or hospitalisation resulting into a large number of painful deaths. Even across the country, the inhumane crisis of non-availability of oxygen, hospital beds, Remdesivir – Ivermectin – Tocilizumab injections and vaccines reflects the criminal failure of the central government. This has happened despite India producing sufficient quantity of Oxygen and Remdesivir injections as also the vaccines. The CWC noted with concern that the data on Covid deaths is horribly wrong and afflicted by massive non-reporting of deaths. The solution lies in facing the challenge and stopping the casualties from Covid-19 and not in concealing the truth by burying the data on deaths and infections.
The Congress Working Committee expresses its revulsion at the shocking expenditure priorities of the Modi government. At a time when the nation’s resources should be devoted to ensuring expansion of vaccination coverage and supply of essential medicines and oxygen, the Modi government is indulging in criminal waste of money by continuing with the personal vanity project of the Prime Minister in the national capital. This is the height of callousness and insensitivity as also an insult to the people of the country.
The Congress Working Committee appreciates the assistance that has been offered and given by the international community at this time of national crisis. However, it needs to be said that there is total non-transparency in the distribution and utilisation of these supplies. Our desperate need for assistance is also a sad reflection of the governance and policy failures of the Modi government.
The Congress Working Committee is of the firm belief that this a time for showing an unwavering sense of national unity, purpose and resolve. In order that it may become a reality, the Prime Minister must atone for his mistakes and commit to serving the people instead of carrying on with a personal agenda, oblivious to the suffering all around. The Congress Party commits to fighting the Covid-19 pandemic with its entire might and will support every people-friendly initiative of the government in fighting the pandemic.
Second Resolution
The CWC considered the election schedule for electing the AICC President as proposed by Central Election Authority of the Party.
In view of the nationwide emergent conditions prevailing on account of unprecedented Corona pandemic, the CWC was unanimous that all our energies should be channelized towards saving every life and helping every Covid affected person. CWC, therefore, unanimously resolved to defer the elections temporarily in the midst of these challenging times.