Sonia set to take call on ‘one man, one post’ in Congress

By Anand Singh

New Delhi, Aug 13 (IANS) Just two days after UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi was made the interim President of the Congress, she is set to take a major decision on people holding multiple posts in the party to give more opportunities to everyone.

A senior Congress leader in the know of the development told IANS: "Sonia Gandhi is set to decide on 'one man, one post' rule."

He said a number of senior leaders hold multiple posts in the party.

"To create a balance and give more opportunity to other leaders who have worked tirelessly for the party, she is set to take the decision in the coming days," the party leader said.

The leader said that several senior leaders like Rajya Sabha member Ghulam Nabi Azad, Kisan Congress chief Nana Patole, Schedule Caste department Chairman Nitin Raut, Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and others will have to give up one or two posts they are now holding.

Azad is Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, is also a General Secretary and is also in charge of Haryana affairs.

Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Pilot was also the Rajasthan party chief. Kamal Nath is the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh as well as the state unit chief.

Patole, the Chairperson of the Kisan Congress, is also part of the Maharastra campaign Committee.

Raut, who is the Chairman of the Schedule Caste department, is also in charge of the Maharastra Congress while Uma Singar, a cabinet minister in the Madhya Pradesh government, also holds the post of deputy in-charge of the state.

Sonia Gandhi has returned to the top post almost 19 months after she stepped down as party chief in December 2017. She vacated the post for her son Rahul Gandhi, who quit after leading the Congress to a disastrous showing in the Lok Sabha elections.

(Anand Singh can be contacted at anand.s@ians.in)