Some CWC members may be dropped

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JAN. 12. The long wait for the new Congress Working Committee could be finally over. According to reliable sources, the Congress president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, has almost shortlisted the members to be nominated to the apex body and a formal announcement could be made early next week.

The composition of the CWC has always been a subject of intense speculation. This time it has taken on an added hue after the party authorised Ms. Gandhi to nominate all the 24 members to the body. (The party constitution says 12 members should be elected by the AICC members).

The Congress initially appeared all set to hold elections in the third week of December but the move was shelved and all the State units and AICC members decided to authorise Ms. Gandhi to nominate her working committee.

The move has heightened expectations of a new-look team. Never an easy exercise at the best of times, the Congress president is expected to fulfill the aspirations of various interest groups. She has to strike the right balance between experience and youth, ensure adequate representation of women, the minorities and members of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes, besides giving the CWC an all-India character. Ms. Gandhi, according to sources, is keen on avoiding the kind of situation that existed after the CWC elections at Tirupati, when the north Indian States swept the polls leaving the South under-represented.

The new CWC is likely to have many changes and it could mean that some existing members may be dropped. ``Experience will count, but it must be backed up with performance,'' says a senior leader. Similarly, the changes being contemplated ``will not merely be cosmetic.''

Sources maintain that it is unlikely that the Congress president will nominate the entire lot in one go. She is expected to nominate about 16 to 18 members.

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