There were indications yesterday that Congress president Sitaram Kesri would allow the postponement of the election of many PCC presidents and other state unit office-bearers until after the election of the party president, due on June 9, and nominate his supporters thereafter.
Kesri expects to be elected, although two other candidates are in the fray. He would like to instal loyalists in a number of state units after that, so that his hold on the party is complete.
The elections in most state units have been carefully managed by hand-picked returning officers, leading to widespread charges of rigging. The majority of delegates from most states owe their loyalty to one or more pro-Kesri leader. Most of them expect that they or their favourite would be installed to lead the state unit in exchange for their supporters votes for Kesri to become president. Oscar Fernandes, the AICC general secretary in charge of the elections, said yesterday that many pradesh returning officers (PROs) had asked to delink the elections for the PCCs office bearers from those for the Congress president. They are now scheduled for the same day.
He said the PROs could decide whether they wanted to conduct the elections simultaneously or postpone the state unit elections. It is a huge thing, he said, indicating that the AICC expected that many of the PROs would not hold the elections simultaneously, as it had scheduled.