After 5 MPs’ letter, Cong says nominees for prez post can access Electoral College list
Effecting a much-demanded tweak to its electoral rules, the Congress has said that those who want to file nomination for the party president’s post will be given access to the list of 9,000 delegates who make up the Electoral College.
Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry, also the chairperson of the party’s Central Election Authority, said the list will be available from September 20 for anyone who wishes to run for the Congress president’s post.
The Congress’ decision to release the Electoral College list comes after five MPs including Shashi Tharoor, Karti Chidambaram and Manish Tewari wrote to Mistry, expressing concern over “transparency and fairness” in the election process and requesting him to release the list of delegates who will vote the next Congress chief.
The window for the filing of nominations for the election slated for October 17, is between September 24 and 30.
Also read: Party chief polls: Tharoor, four other Cong MPs seek transparency
Mistry in a response to the letter by the five MPs has said that those seeking to run for the president’s post can check the names of 10 delegates from their state at the Congress office.
However, the candidates can access the entire list of delegates only after their nomination is signed and handed over to the Chief Returning Officer, he clarified.
“If anyone desires to get nominations from 10 supporters from different states, the list of all 9000 plus delegates will be available in my office at AICC, Delhi from 20th September (11 AM to 6 PM), before they file their nomination on 24th September,” Mistry said in his letter to the MPs.
He said the candidates can choose their 10 supporters/delegates from the list and obtain the delegate’s signature for nomination.
“This should resolve the anxiety of anybody about the process of filing their nominations without knowing the names of the delegates. Once the nomination is signed and handed over to the Chief Returning Officer, they will get the entire list of delegates,” he said.
Responding to Mistry’s letter, Tharoor said the response was satisfactory, while expressing faith that the election process will help in strengthening the party.
Preparations to elect the next Congress president is underway even as former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi is helming an ambitious 150-day long Bharat Jodo Yatra, aiming to cover a 3,750km stretch of the country in 150 days.
