The Hindu : CPP elections on May 8

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 25, 2003

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National

CPP elections on May 8

By Javed M. Ansari

NEW DELHI APRIL 24 . The Congress today decided to hold elections to the Congress parliamentary party, last held in September 200, on May 8.

Ram Niwas Mirdha, chairperson of the party's central election authority, will be the returning officer and the last date for filing nominations is May 3. Apart from the 18 executive committee members, the party MPs will also elect three CPP secretaries and a treasurer.

Following a demand for holding the CPP election during the first half of the budget session, Ambika Soni and Priyaranjan Dasmunshi were entrusted to asses the mind of the MPs from both Houses and get back to the leadership.

A section of the MPs felt that with only a year to go for the general elections, it would be better to allow the present set of office-bearers and executive committee members to continue.

The other argument against holding new elections was that the present team was functioning smoothly and it would be unwise to disturb it. However, the majority of the MPs reportedly favoured fresh elections.

The party set-up in Parliament comprises the CPP chairperson, who is elected by MPs from both Houses.

The party president, Sonia Gandhi, is the present CPP chairperson. According to the CPP constitution, the chairperson nominates two leaders, one from each House, to head the party in the respective Houses, as well as separate deputy leaders, chief whips and deputy chief whips.

While the chairperson's term is co terminus with the term of the Lok Sabha, the office-bearers and the executive committee members are supposed to be elected every two years.

These include the three CPP secretaries, two from the Lok Sabha and one from the Rajya Sabha, and a treasurer.

The executive committee, which is also elected, comprises 12 members from the Lok sabha and 6 from the Rajya Sabha. Currently, Kapil Sibal, Pawan Singh Ghatowar and Sona Ram Chaudary are the three parliamentary secretaries, while Santosh Bagrodia of the Rajya Sabha is the treasurer.

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