Congress says ‘primaries’ for seats will end party high command culture

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi's experiment of choosing Congress candidates for Lok Sabha polls in over 15
seats with direct feedback on the lines of US primaries will continue notwithstanding some initial hiccups, a Congress functionary today indicated.

AICC Communication Department Chairman Ajay Maken also downplayed the recent decision by the party to drop two such constituencies Chandni Chowk and North West Delhi represented Union Ministers Kapil Sibal and Krishna Tirath from the list of primaries after their reservations.

He insisted that the new process is in line with the Congress Vice President's focus on opening the system by
"ending the high command culture" and empowering the grass-root workers

PTI

"When the elected MPs had a view point and when they asked what is the criteria of selecting two seats out of
seven, the Congress Vice President, who has always believed in fair play, agreed to it that there should be a proper laid out system even for selecting seats for the primaries," Maken told PTI.

The ministers are learnt to have conveyed their reservations on this point to top leadership wondering as to
why their constituencies were only picked up among the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi.

Maken, however, gave broad indications that notwithstanding the initial hiccups, the process will continue
as it is part of the long-terms plans to bring sweeping changes in ticket distribution and other processes in the party.

The party has on a number of occasions made it clear that the changes that have been put on hold till this Lok Sabha election will be carried out full throttle once the election exercise is over.

"Rahulji's idea of choosing candidates through primaries is in line with his focus on opening the system. He wants to put an end to the high command culture in the party in decision making.

"After giving the power to ordinary workers to elect their officer bearers as was done in NSUI and Youth Congress, he wants that office-bearers should be empowered now and should have a say in candidate selection.

"Gandhi has said that this is a pilot project, which he wishes to extend in the whole country at a later stage. This is a powerful idea," Maken said.

He said that the Congress Vice President thinks that while in government functioning transparency is being brought through steps like  RTI and punitive measures like Lokpal and other anti graft bills, as far political system is concerned, it cannot be made transparent till Congress workers do not have a say in electing their candidates.

PTI