The latest rejig in the Congress Working Committee (CWC) has several surprises with a number of first-timers on the list of 39 members which was released on Sunday (August 20).
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge reconstituted the party’s top decision-making, body increasing the existing members from 25 to 39. Among the major inductions on the list were Shashi Tharoor and Sachin Pilot.
The new team consists of 32 permanent invitees including Manish Tewari, and Kanhaiya Kumar, and 13 special invitees including Alka Lamba.
Who are the first-timers?
Sachin Pilot, who has been in the eye of a storm for years now primarily due to his differences with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, has surprisingly been inducted in the body. Pilot, recently, had said that he has buried the hatchet with Gehlot and there is a need for them to move together for the party to return to power in the state in the Assembly polls slated later this year. Pilot made the move after Kharge’s intervention into the matter.
I express my gratitude to respected Congress President Mr. Mallikarjun Kharge, CPP Chairperson Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and former President Mr. Rahul Gandhi for making me a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC). We all will strengthen the customs and ideology of the Congress and take it more strongly to the people,” Pilot tweeted, expressing gratitude for naming him for the body.
The other first-time leaders who were named in the list include Nasir Hussain, Ashok Chavan, Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Jagdish Thakore and Kamleshwar Patel.
Notably, Shashi Tharoor was a surprising inclusion on the list. He had contested against Mallikarjun Kharge in the Congress president polls earlier this year.
During his campaign for the polls, Tharoor had said that those willing to see change in the working of the party will vote for him as he represented change.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Tharoor expressed his gratitude for his inclusion on the list.
“I am honoured by the decision of the @INCIndia President Shri Mallikarjun @Kharge ji and the Congress central leadership to nominate me to the Working Committee. As one who is aware of the historic role played by the CWC in guiding the party over the last 138 years, I am humbled and grateful to be part of this institution, and look forward to the opportunity to serve the party alongside my dedicated colleagues,” he tweeted.
First-timers in Permanent Invitees
Manish Tewari, a member of the G23 group of Congress, who had written a letter to Sonia Gandhi in August 2020 demanding an organisational overhaul and elections at all levels of the party, was also the first-timer in the ‘Permanent Invitees’ list.
Other first-timers in the permanent invitees include Pratibha Singh, Pholodevi Netam. Kanhaiya Kumar, All India Congress Committee Incharge, NSUI, has also been included in the decision-making body.
First-timer Special Invitees
Alka Lamba, who made the headlines recently and was snubbed for her remarks on the seat-sharing of Congress in Delhi for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, made it to the list of ‘Special Invitees’ for the first time.
“There are tears of happiness in my eyes at this time - I can do it in my mind - after 30 years of political struggle and journey, today once again I have been able to win the trust of the top leadership of the party. I express my heartfelt gratitude to Congress President respected @kharge ji, #SoniaGandhi ji, former Congress President @RahulGandhi ji, organization general secretary @kcvenugopalmp ji - and also to all those colleagues who always supported me. I will try my best to live up to your expectations,” Lamba tweeted.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate, and Pawan Khera have also found their places on the list.
Others who were included are Ganesh Godiyal, Yashomati Thakore, Priniti Shinde, and Vamshi Reddy.
(With inputs from Risheesh Tripathi)
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