Sonia Gandhi trusts old hands to hold Congress’ reins

Although the Congress has delayed the decision on major organisational changes till party vice-president Rahul Gandhi returns from his foreign trip, expectedly in a couple of days, speculation over senior leaders getting a role in the new set up is gaining ground in the party.

“Rahulji will be back on Saturday and we are expecting some decision in the next week,” party officials indicated.

While the names of former Union minister Sushilkumar Shinde, former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot are doing the rounds for the post of AICC general secretary, former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit has already been made the convenor of the Indira Gandhi Birth Centenary Celebrations Implementation Committee, constituted by Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday.

However, Ms Dikshit’s appointment as the general secretary against the backdrop of the tanker scam in Delhi seems unclear.

Mr Shinde, a prominent dalit leader with long-term experience in the organisation and the party, could help the party in this bad time. The shifting of Mr Gehlot to Delhi could prove helpful for Rajasthan PCC president Sachin Pilot in working more freely and establishing leadership.

Though, the AICC officials are tight-lipped on whether former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda too can get a role in the AICC, Ms Gandhi is relying more on the old hands than experimenting with Generation Next at a time when the Congress is facing tough challenges from the BJP on one hand and regional parties like AAP, SP, BSP, TMC, AIADMK, BJD and JD(S) on the other.

Sonia Gandhi has already appointed Ghulam Nabi Azad and Kamal Nath as AICC general secretaries. While party president is yet to allot the charge of Punjab to anyone, Assam Congress too, is without a chief after the death of Anjan Dutta.

If Bihar PCC chief Ashok Chaudhary has to be replaced under “one-man-one-post” norm as he is the minister in the Nitish Kumar government, Tamil Nadu PCC president E.V.K.S. Elangovan could be changed following the party’s debacle in the state Assembly polls.

Sources said the AICC cannot delay its decision of who should lead the Uttar Pradesh Congress ahead of the state Assembly polls.