In six poll bound states, Congress postpones internal elections

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday decided to defer its organisational elections in six states that are going to polls in the next 10 months.

The move comes in the wake of requests from the party units in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland to the Congress high command that it will be difficult for them to simultaneously conduct the assembly elections and the organisational polls.

While assembly elections are scheduled in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh in December this year, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland will go to polls in February-March 2018.

The decision to postpone the internal elections was taken at a meeting between Congress vicepresident Rahul Gandhi and the party central election authority.

The election commission has fixed the deadline of December 31 this year for the party to complete its organisational polls. The poll body has also asked the Congress to submit its list of new office-bearers by the first week of January 2018. However, the Congress leadership rejected the party’s Rajasthan unit request, seeking postponement of the organisational polls.

The state unit was told that since the assembly elections in Rajasthan will be held in November-December 2018 it should focus on the internal polls. MP and Chhattisgarh will also go to polls along with Rajasthan.

However, the deferment will have no impact on the party’s organisational elections at the national level.

The Congress’ poll schedule has been divided into five phases. While the first stage comprising enrolment of new members will end on August 20, the second phase to elect block presidents will conclude on September 4.

The third segment ending on September 15 will witness the elections to district presidents followed by state chiefs in the fourth phase from September 16 to October 15. The plenary session will mark the completion of the fifth and final phase by the year-end.