Congress Revamps Top Decision-Making Body with Inclusion of Sachin Pilot and Shashi Tharoor
20-08-2023 : The unveiling of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) today has garnered heightened attention due to its timing ahead of crucial Assembly elections and the impending Lok Sabha polls. Notably, the reshaped CWC welcomes new members, notably Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor and former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot.
The CWC, composed of 39 members, also boasts 32 permanent invitees, encompassing state in-charges, and an additional 13 special invitees, among them the presidents of the Youth Congress, the NSUI, the Mahila Congress, and the Seva Dal, serving as ex-officio members.
The reformation of the highest decision-making entity within the Congress comes half a year after the AICC Plenary held in Raipur, where Mallikarjun Kharge’s election as party president was endorsed, along with his authorization to nominate new CWC members.
Although the revised primary list of the CWC exhibits some continuity, featuring many names from the previous panel, significant additions and changes are evident. The 39-member CWC roster comprises former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, ex-party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, and, of course, Mallikarjun Kharge. Notably, the party’s Constitution was modified at the Raipur plenary to bestow lifelong membership of the CWC upon former party presidents and prime ministers aligned with the party’s ideology.
Renowned leaders retaining their positions in the panel include A.K. Antony, P. Chidambaram, Digvijaya Singh, K.C. Venugopal, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Tariq Anwar, Ambika Soni, Meira Kumar, Jairam Ramesh, Randeep Surjewala, and Kumari Selja.
The entry of Shashi Tharoor, who had contested the party presidency against Kharge, stands out among the newcomers. Speculation surrounded Tharoor’s inclusion in the CWC, considering his previous candidacy. Alongside Tharoor, the panel welcomes Mukul Wasnik and Anand Sharma, members of the ‘G-23’ group that penned a letter to Sonia Gandhi in 2020, outlining concerns regarding the party’s direction. Another member of the G-23, Manish Tewari, secures a place on the list of permanent invitees.
Another focal point of the restructured CWC is Sachin Pilot, who had engaged in a prolonged power struggle with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. The Congress leadership has managed to broker a truce between the two leaders. Pilot’s inclusion in the CWC signals the party’s intent to rehabilitate him and confer respectability, while Gehlot remains in charge in Rajasthan, gearing up for the state’s Assembly elections.
The list of primary CWC members includes former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, former West Bengal MP Deepa Das Munshi, Rajya Sabha MP and AICC coordinator Syed Nasser Hussain, Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi, Gujarat leader Deepak Babaria, former union minister Ajay Maken, Chhattisgarh minister Tamradhwaj Sahu, AICC General Secretary Jitendra Singh, Rajya Sabha MP and prominent lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, and former union minister Salman Khurshid.
The permanent invitees’ lineup encompasses Veerappa Moily, Harish Rawat, Pawan Kumar Bansal, Ramesh Chennithala, B.K. Hariprasad, Pratibha Singh, Mohan Prakash, T. Subbarami Reddy, and Tareeq Hameed Karra, along with younger leaders like Deepender Singh Hooda, Meenakshi Natarajan, Phulo Devi Netam, and Sudip Roy Burman.
Gurdeep Sappal, an AICC coordinator in the party president’s office, earns a place in the CWC as an in-charge. The special invitees encompass Pallam Raju, Pawan Khera, Ganesh Godiyal, Kodikkunil Suresh, Yashomati Thakur, Supriya Srinate, Priniti Shinde, Alka Lamba, and Vamshi Chand Reddy.
