Explainer: How the CWC members are elected

New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) The Congress is holding its 85th plenary session from February 24 in Raipur where the steering committee will decide whether the election for the Congress Working Committee (CWC) members will be held or not. However, many in the party feel there should be a poll for CWC members.

According to Rule under Article XIX (a) as per Congress Constitution, the procedure for election of 12 members of the Working Committee are as follows:

Only a member of the All India Congress Committee with full voting rights shall be entitled to contest the election to the Working Committee and nominations should be proposed and seconded by members of the All India Congress Committee with full voting rights.

A member of the AICC can propose as many as 12 members for the membership of the Working Committee. Nomination paper should signify the consent of the candidate proposed.

The voting for the CWC shall be by ballot and a voter can record on the ballot paper as many as 12 votes, provided that not more than one vote shall be cast in favour of each candidate.

A ballot paper shall be rendered invalid if a voter records more than 12 votes on the ballot papers and the first 12 candidates, securing the highest number of votes, shall be declared elected.

"These election rules shall apply mutatis mutandis to the byelections that may be caused. Ballot papers for this election shall indicate whether the candidate belongs to the reserved category i.e. women, SC/ST/OBC/Minority."

"The above rules framed under Article XIX (a) shall be read with the rules
framed under Article VI (A) (a) and (b) regarding reservation for women,
SC/ST/OBC/Minority and made applicable for the purpose of ensuring
reservation for the above mentioned categories," it says.

There will be 1338 elected and 487 co-opted AICC members in the session but as per Congress Constitution, only elected AICC members can vote in the CWC elections.

As per article XIV of the Congress Constitution, "The co-opted members at the AICC, PCC and lower levels shall not exercise any voting right in any organisational election nor shall they contest any election in the organisation, however, no person who is a co-opted member shall be debarred for that reason from seeking election to full membership of any committee in normal manner."

There will be total around 15,000 members including 9,915 PCC delegates, 3,000 co-opted PCC delegates.

These will include district presidents of the party and the 120 Bharat yatris who have walked beside Rahul Gandhi and office-bearers of frontal organisations.

If the voting takes place, the party will ensure proper representation from SC/ST, Women, OBC and minority.