Rahul Gandhi takes to app to decide top job in each state

Facing the dilemma of choosing between the old guard and young turks in the states where it won big, Congress president Rahul Gandhi devised a new mechanism to select candidates for the top job in each of the three states where the party won big. Gandhi has often been criticised for the notion that instead of promoting the youth in the party, in the ultimate run he backs the Old Guard. 

Instead of leaving the choice of chief minister to the respective legislature parties and to the party high command, the Congress president asked workers, district presidents, as well as newly elected MLAs to choose the CM -- a new system to decentralise the power structure. 

On Wednesday morning, Congress workers received a call on the app in Gandhi’s voice, which has been designed by the party’s Data Analytics department so that Gandhi can connect with workers across the country. He asked workers in these states directly who would they prefer to be the state chief minister. 

Gandhi’s call went to over 7.3 lakh workers in these states and congratulated them, asking them to decide on one name for the top job. He also promised confidentiality to each worker, and said the party will be run by workers and not a selected few. No CM will be imposed from Delhi was the president’s clear message, involving the district presidents, block president as well as MLAs in the decision-making process. Sources in the Congress said that Gandhi wants to leave no stones unturned and the feedback exercise is a way to gauge the general mood in these states. 

While this is the first time that Gandhi has used the app in the party’s decision-making process, the party had also relied on the app to gauge the mood of voters during the election season. It was through the app that the Congress decided to stick to farmers distress as the rallying point in all the three states in the heartland.

While the party had also sent out observers in all three states, the opinion of party-workers is set to make its mark when Gandhi meets all the central observers sent to the three states on Thursday morning, along with senior party leaders.

In Rajasthan, party president Sachin Pilot could lose out to party general secretary Ashok Gehlot because of caste equations. Being from the Mali community, which does not have a wide representation, Gehlot could pose a safe face while Pilot, a Jat, could upset other communities. Sources said that Pilot might have to make do with a deputy position or a half term. Similarly, in Madhya Pradesh seasoned hand Kamal Nath could take over, leaving out Jyotiraditya Scindia, a royal who might be at odds in a state where rural and farm distress are big poll issues. In Chhattisgarh, party president Bhupesh Baghel, who rebuilt the party since 2013, might have an edge over Tamradhwaj Sahu.

The app was piloted in Rajasthan and Delhi, and in August, six workers each from Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana met Gandhi as they managed to get maximum number of workers into the party’s fold.

‘Your Choice, Not Nine’ 

Rahul’s decentralised digital solution to choosing chief minister

• Decision to come from party workers, district presidents, MLAs 
• Party high command,  legislature party won’t dictate decision

App way

• On Wednesday, Cong workers in the 3 states get call on app designed by party data analytics cell 
• Cong chief directly asks 7.3 lakh workers who they prefer as their CM
• Promises confidentiality to each, says party to be run by them, not select few; nor will CM be imposed on them from Delhi
• Feedback exercise to gauge general mood in these states: Sources
• App was used to gauge voter mood before polls, decided Cong’s farmer distress poll plank