Shashi Tharoor, a contender for the presidency of the Congress party, stated on Wednesday that if elected head of the AICC, he will completely execute the party’s current constitution, which calls for CWC elections and the revival of the parliamentary board that has lain dormant for about 25 years.
In an interview, Mr. Tharoor added that the Congress needed to decentralise power and genuinely give party officeholders at the grassroots more clout.
The Udaipur Declaration, which was unanimously adopted at the party’s Chintan Shivir earlier this year, would be completely implemented, according to the Thiruvananthapuram-based Lok Sabha member.
The former Union minister responded when asked about his intentions for the party if he defeats Mallikarjun Kharge in the election for the top position, “I think an important first step would be to call for elections to the Working Committee to broaden our inner-party democracy even further.”
According to Mr. Tharoor, “I am going to implement fully the existing constitution, which requires CWC elections and the reactivation of the parliamentary board that has lain dormant for twenty-five years,” as well as the unanimously approved Udaipur Declaration.
One of the main demands of the 23 leaders, including Mr. Tharoor, who wrote to party leader Sonia Gandhi in 2020 seeking extensive organisational reforms, was the holding of elections for the Congress Working Committee. Another major demand was the revival of the parliamentary board.
The Udaipur Declaration, which included extensive organisational reforms to prepare the party for the upcoming round of assembly and Lok Sabha elections, was adopted by the Congress at the Shivir. These reforms included expanding representation to those under 50 and enforcing the “one person, one post” and “one family, one ticket” rules with caveats.
According to Mr. Tharoor, the Congress must give the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) presidents, block, mandal, and booth presidents actual authority in order to strengthen the party in the states.
“We need to properly empower the party’s grassroots officeholders by decentralising power. For the past 22 years, our PCC delegates, for example, have essentially only had one responsibility: casting their votes in the upcoming election on October 17! “said the 66-year-old leader.
“I want to make sure that their elected status is honoured by giving PCC delegates a position on the platform whenever a senior leader pays a visit, including them in the consultations that must occur before candidates are chosen for elections, and so forth,” he stated.
Mr. Tharoor emphasised that the Congress needed to offer a respectable challenge to the BJP’s “centralization of authority” in both party and governmental activities.
“The 2014 UPA election slogan, “Main nahin, hum,” has long caught my attention. Reorganizing the organisation, giving authority to community leaders, and involving our employees as partners in our success will not only relieve the new president of the burdens of over-administration but also help reestablish the strong state leadership that, in earlier eras, increased the appeal of the Congress to the nation “said he.
Mr. Tharoor, who has waged a vigorous campaign throughout several states to win the PCC delegates’ support for his quest for the presidency of the Congress, also noted that the response from regular party members, particularly young delegates, has been quite encouraging.
Many people have even offered to help promote my message within their own networks, and they are backing my cause with an ardour that is both inspiring and humbling, he said.
The senior Congress leader said, “I look forward to continuing to put my best foot forward and to work as hard as humanly possible in this campaign, which is the only way I can repay their faith and trust in my candidacy.
In order to get the party ready to take on the BJP in 2024, Mr. Tharoor claims he is the candidate of reform and change in the way the party is run.
When the ballots are counted, Mr. Tharoor also stated on Tuesday that he is confident those who are anticipating an overwhelming victory for the “establishment” will be shocked.
Because of his alleged closeness to the Gandhi family, Mr. Kharge is thought to be the front-runner for the top party position.
But Mr. Tharoor has often emphasised that the Gandhi family has made it plain that they are avoiding the controversy and remaining impartial.
Rahul Gandhi refuted allegations that the next Congress president would be “remotely controlled” by his family at a press conference last week. He said that both candidates, Mr. Kharge and Mr. Tharoor, are people of stature and understanding, and that to suggest otherwise would be insulting to them.
On October 17, a presidential vote in the Congress will be held, and the results will be announced on October 19.
