The restructured Congress Working Committee (CWC), which was announced by party president Mallikarjun Kharge on August 20 to coincide with the 79th birthday anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, includes Lok Sabha members Shashi Tharoor and Rajasthan Congress leader Sachin Pilot.
Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, the leaders of the Congress Parliamentary Party, are CWC members by having served as presidents of the Congress. Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is also a member of the core CWC. In addition, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is a core member of the CWC.
Nearly six months after Mr Kharge was granted permission to propose candidates for the CWC at the Raipur plenary session on February 24, the new CWC has been announced.
There are 18 permanent, 14 in-charges, 9 special invitees, and the heads of frontline organisations, while the main CWC has grown from 24 to 39.
Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, former chief ministers of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, Ashok Chavan and Digvijaya Singh, former speaker Meira Kumar, former chief minister of Punjab Charanjit Singh Channi, former members of the Lok Sabha Deepa Dasmunshi and Gaurav Gogoi, and former members of the Rajya Sabha Syed Naseer Hussain are also notable inclusions in the core CWC.
Manish Tewari, a member of the Lok Sabha, a prominent leader from Kerala Ramesh Chennithala, a former civil servant turned politician K Raju, and Kodikunil Suresh and Priniti Shinde have all been given permanent invitations.
While Kanhaiya Kumar serves in the CWC as in charge of the students’ wing, younger leaders Alka Lamba, Supriya Shrinate, and Pawan Khera have been given special invitations.