5 Congress MPs in letter to party poll chief: concerns on transparency, fairness

The letter comes at a time when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is spearheading the party's ambitious Bharat Jodo Yatra road campaign, which started in Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari last week.

(Clockwise) Lok Sabha MPs Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari, Pradyut Bordoloi, Abdul Khaleque and Karti Chidambaram. (File)

Asserting that they are “concerned” about transparency and fairness in the election process for the post of Congress president, five Lok Sabha MPs of the party have written a joint letter to Madhusudan Mistry, who is the chairman of the Congress Central Election Authority, saying it must provide the list of Pradesh Congress Committee delegates that make up the electoral college.

The letter comes at a time when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is spearheading the party’s ambitious Bharat Jodo Yatra road campaign, which started in Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari last week. On Friday, Rahul indicated in Nagercoil that he is not likely to be in the fray for the top post. “See, whether I become the president or don’t become president, this will become very clear when the presidential election takes place in the Congress. It will become clear…,” he said.

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In their letter to Mistry, Lok Sabha MPs Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari, Karti Chidambaram, Pradyut Bordoloi and Abdul Khaleque wrote: “We, the five undersigned, as Members of Parliament of the Indian National Congress, are concerned about the transparency and fairness of the election process for the President of our party.”

Mistry had earlier said that the rolls cannot be placed in the public domain citing absence of precedence and arguing that the presidential election is an internal matter of the party and the electoral rolls could be misused if rivals manage to access them.

Countering Mistry’s arguments, the joint letter from the MPs stated: “It is unfortunate that an erroneous interpretation is being given to our demand of releasing electoral rolls. We are not suggesting that any internal document of the party should be released in a manner that may give an opportunity to those who wish us ill to misuse the information contained therein.”

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The letter said: “We are rather of the firm opinion that before the commencement of the nomination process, the party’s Central Election Authority (CEA) must provide a list of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates that make up the electoral college. This list must be made available in order to verify who is entitled to nominate a candidate and who is entitled to vote.”

The MPs wrote: “In case the CEA has any concerns with respect to releasing the electoral rolls publicly, it must put in place a mechanism to securely share this information with all electors and potential candidates. Electors and candidates cannot be expected to go to all 28 PCCs and 9 Union Territorial units across the country to verify the electoral rolls.”

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The MPs wrote that such a move “will remove any unwarranted arbitrariness from the election process. As long as this demand is met, our concern about transparency — a sine qua non in any free and fair election — will be met”.

Party sources told The Indian Express that some of these five MPs have written separate letters to Mistry as well. Last week, The Indian Express reported that Tharoor and Bordoloi, an MP from Assam’s Nagaon, had written separate letters to Mistry, requesting him to make the electoral rolls public.

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Tharoor, who is said to be considering running for the top post, had earlier endorsed his G 23 colleague Manish Tewari’s demand that the list of PCC delegates, who form the 9,000-odd electoral college in the party, be made public. Tewari had asked how the process could be fair unless the rolls were made public. Lok Sabha MP Karti Chidambaram, too, had come out in support of Tewari’s demand.

Manoj C.G

Manoj C G currently serves as the Chief of National Political Bureau at The Indian Express. A veteran journalist with a career spanning nearly two decades, he plays a pivotal role in shaping the publication's coverage of India's political landscape. Experience & Career: Manoj has built a robust career in political journalism, marked by a transition from wire service reporting to in-depth newspaper analysis. The Indian Express (2008 – Present): He joined the organization in 2008 and has risen to lead the National Political Bureau, overseeing key political coverage. Press Trust of India (PTI): Prior to his tenure at The Indian Express, Manoj worked with India’s premier news agency, PTI, honing his skills in breaking news and accurate reporting. Expertise & Focus Areas: As a seasoned political observer, Manoj focuses on the nuances of governance and party dynamics. National Politics: extensive reporting on the central government, parliamentary affairs, and national elections. Political Strategy: Deep analysis of party structures, coalition politics, and the shifting ideologies within the Indian political spectrum. Bureau Leadership: directing a team of reporters to cover the most critical developments in the nation's capital. Authoritativeness & Trust: Manoj’s authoritativeness is grounded in his nearly 20 years of field experience and his leadership role at a legacy newspaper. His long-standing association with The Indian Express underscores a reputation for consistency, editorial integrity, and rigorous reporting standards required of a Bureau Chief. Find all stories by Manoj C G here. ... Read More