Ahead of Cong's plenary session, election for Priyanka, fee hike on charts

The major shift for increasing membership fees and conducting elections is a direct outcome of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Rahul Gandhi has been keen that leaders must reconnect with workers

The Congress is all geared up for Congress Working Committee (CWC) elections, despite opposition from certain quarters. The grand old party is giving final touches to some of the organisational changes aimed at boosting party coffers and helping leaders reconnect with workers, ahead of the plenary session in Chhattisgarh's Raipur.

According to a report published by NDTV, the membership fee for state Congress committee delegates will be raised from Rs 100 to Rs 1,000, of which, Rs 400 will be a developmental fee and Rs 300 for the party magazine Sandesh.

The fee will be revised for senior All India Congress Committee (AICC) to Rs 3,000 and the development fee will be Rs 1,000 per year for the next five years. With this fee hike, the grand old party hopes workers will be more committed and will help during these trying times, when there is a massive funds crunch.

The report suggests that ahead of the upcoming CWC elections, some of the top party sources hinted that the leadership is keen on holding elections, in order to help leaders keep in touch with the party workers across the country.

Former presidents, ex-prime ministers, leaders of Congress in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and the chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party will automatically be members of the CWC, over and above the recommended strength of 23.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, senior party leader and the daughter of former party chief Sonia Gandhi, will be ineligible to become a member automatically, according to the list. To become a CWC member, Priyanka Gandhi will have to be elected.

A few senior Congress leaders, however, indicated that Priyanka would get the maximum number of votes if an election takes place.

The major shift for increasing membership fees and conducting elections is a direct outcome of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Rahul Gandhi wants leaders to reconnect with workers and show more commitment towards building and strengthening the organisation.

Congress is also keen on increasing the percentage of members in line with the Udaipur Declaration with 50 per cent reservation for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC) minorities and to project a young face below the age of 50.

The report suggests that the AICC is also being expanded with six state delegates having the power to elect one delegate and increasing the number of co-opted members from 15 per cent to 25 per cent.