The Bharatiya Janata Party is rumoured to be planning a cabinet reshuffle, while the Congress is rumoured to be planning its own reshuffle.
The Congress Party is expected to have a new leader in the Lok Sabha, and at least two senior Congress leaders confirmed that Rahul Gandhi is a top contender for the job.
They went on to say that there is nothing official about it because Gandhi has yet to agree to it. Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, however, are both keen for Gandhi to accept this role and are doing everything they can to ensure that he does.
Rabdeep Surjewala, the Congress’s chief spokesperson, declined to comment.
If Gandhi accepts, the post of Congress President could be filled by someone from outside the Gandhi family, which would meet the demands of the Group of 23 Congress leaders, who have been demanding internal elections, the two leaders added. However, since the current All India Congress Committee’s term ends in 2022, a decision on the Congress President may be made at a later date.
Not everyone in Gandhi’s camp believes he should take the job currently held by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
“This would bind him to Parliament, and in some ways, it would be a far more difficult job than being Congress President,” said one member of Parliament who did not want to be identified. Gandhi has been chastised by the Bhartiya Janata Party for his sporadic attendance in parliament and lack of consistency even in parliamentary committee hearings.
Chowdhury was held responsible for the Congress’ poor showing in the West Bengal elections, in which the 135-year-old party failed to win a single seat in the legislature. Apart from that, Chowdhury’s colleagues criticised him for handling the party’s business in the Lok Sabha, with some even suggesting that he wasn’t antagonistic enough to the ruling party.
When contacted, Adhir Chowdhury’s office stated that no one has informed him that his term in the Lok Sabha is about to expire. Chowdhury also told a senior Congress leader that he would gladly accept another role if the party offered it to him. Chowdhury may have to leave the West Bengal state Congress, according to the second Congress official.
Gandhi has hinted that he might accept an official position, telling a visiting leader from a Southern state as much last week.
“Rahul Gandhi as leader in Lok Sabha was something that has always been an idea and even Pranab Mukherjee suggested it once,” said a senior leader who asked not to be named, but “whether he will accept it at this stage is a big if.”
