P Chidambaram calls Rahul Gandhi 'acknowledged leader', says he will always have pre-eminent place in Congress

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi will always have a “pre-eminent place” in Congress irrespective of whether he is president or not, said senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday (September 18, 2022), adding that he is the "acknowledged leader" of the rank and file. 

Just days ahead of the notification of polls to elect the AICC chief, the former Union minister and Congress Working Committee member said, so far, Rahul Gandhi has declined to take on the mantle of party presidency but may change his mind. 

When asked about the controversy over the elections, Chidambaram said there was no occasion for any controversy over the fairness and transparency of the party president polls and asserted that had central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry’s last statement on the concerns of some of the leaders come on the first day, the matter would have stood resolved.

In an interview with news agency PTI, the former Union minister said the PCC-wise electoral roll will be available for inspection at the office of the PCC concerned, while the all India electoral roll will be available for inspection at the office of the AICC. Chidambaram also underlined that it is not the practice of any political party to publish the roll of the electoral college. 

“Every nominated candidate will be entitled to a copy of the electoral roll. Mr Mistry has since clarified these self-evident points and the MPs have said they were satisfied. The matter is rested,” Chidambaram said.

Earlier, Lok Sabha members Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari, Karti Chidambaram, Pradyut Bordoloi, and Abdul Khaleque, had written to Mistry, seeking clarity on the issue of electoral rolls, to which the party’s poll panel chief had clarified that anyone wanting to file nomination for the post of Congress president will be able see the list of the over 9,000 PCC delegates at the AICC’s central election authority office from September 20.

In the interview, Chidambaram also questioned the media if they would have raised such issues when the BJP or any other party held its party elections.

“I cannot recall Mr J P Nadda asking for the electoral roll or filing his nomination!” he said.

Asked whether consensus or elections would be better for the post of AICC president, Chidambaram said while the election is the default option, “the better course — and all parties follow this — is to elect a national president by consensus”.

“If my recollection is correct, Mr Nadda, and before him Mr Amit Shah, Mr Rajnath Singh and Mr Gadkari, were all elected by consensus,” he said.

On whether Gandhi will heed appeals of party workers and leaders, Chidambaram said he does not know the answer to that question.

“Rahul Gandhi is the acknowledged leader of the rank and file of the party. They want him to be the President of the party also. So far, he has declined. He may change his mind,” the senior Congress leader told PTI.

The Rajya Sabha MP said that if Rahul Gandhi is elected Congress president, he will be both leader and president, but if he is not, he will remain the acknowledged leader of the party and there will be another person holding the office of president.

“Rahul Gandhi will always have a pre-eminent place in the party,” Chidambaram asserted.

(With agency inputs)