Thousands of delegates from India’s Congress Party voted this week to elect the first leader in more than two decades who is not a member of the famed Gandhi family.
The 137-year-old party, which has produced three prime ministers and ruled India for more than half the time since the country gained independence from Britain in 1947, has seen its electoral fortunes decline in recent years after back-to-back defeats by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
Many critics and political rivals have blamed weak leadership and “nepotism” for the crushing electoral defeats of the centre-left political party, including in the 2019 national elections, when Nehru-Gandhi scion Rahul Gandhi led the party.
Mr Modi has blasted the Gandhis for running the party as a “family enterprise”, particularly slamming Mr Rahul for lacking political acumen.
The right-wing leader has called Mr Rahul, once considered a potential candidate for prime minister, a “prince” and has taken swipes at his “elite” family background.
The 52-year-old Congress leader, known as the “reluctant politician”, stepped down from the party president’s post following the defeat, leaving his mother, Sonia Gandhi, to take over as the interim leader.
The election is seen as a historic event for the party, as it is the sixth time in its history that an electoral contest has been held to choose the party's leader.
At least 9,500 members of the State Congress Committee, including the electoral college, will choose between veteran party leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor, said Madhusudan Mistry, chairman of the party’s Central Election Authority.
“Of 9,900 delegates, around 9,500 voted in the election … Congress president polls were held in an open manner,” Mr Mistry said.
The sealed ballot boxes were transported to the capital Delhi on Tuesday and kept in a secure room at the party headquarters.
The ballot papers will be mixed before counting, which begins on Wednesday morning, to avoid knowing the votes for any candidate from a particular state. The verdict is likely to be announced by the evening.
Significance
The Indian National Congress, often called the Congress Party, was founded in 1885 as part of the national movement to fight the British colonial empire.
During India’s long journey towards freedom, the party became the face of the non-violent independence movement under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi.
The party transformed into the dominant political force following Indian independence in 1947, with the country's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, as its leader.
Congress appointed Acharya Kriplani as its first president in 1947, followed by the elevation of Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya and Purushottam Das Tandon to party chief in 1948 and 1950, respectively.
Nehru served as the party leader between 1951 and 1955. He left the post in 1955 and U N Dhebar took over the reins of the party.
Four years later, Nehru’s daughter and former prime minister Indira Gandhi became the party president in 1959, followed by Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, who remained at the helm until 1963.
Gandhi again became the Congress president and held the reins of the party from 1978-1984.
After the assassination of Gandhi in October 1984, her son, Rajiv Gandhi, also a former prime minister, served as the party president from 1985 to 1991.
Following his death, P V Narasimha Rao became president until 1996, followed by Sitaram Kesri until 1998. He was the last non-Gandhi party chief, as the family returned to the party leadership after his tenure.
Sonia Gandhi became the president in 1998 after refusing to enter active politics for close to seven years.
Ms Gandhi helped the party to revive its electoral fortunes and led it to winning back-to-back national elections in 2004 and 2009.
She stepped down from the party chief position in 2017 in the run-up to the 2019 general elections and handed the baton to her son, Rahul, but returned as the interim chief in 2019 after the electoral drubbing in the national elections that year.
Mr Gandhi stepped down from the post in 2019 and has firmly refused to return as the party president, despite pressure from a section of Congress leaders.
He is currently leading a foot march to connect with Indians across the country before the 2024 general elections.
“For the first time visibly one can see there are proper elections … we don’t see this kind of election being held in other political parties,” Sanjay Kumar, political analyst and co-director of Lokniti, a research programme of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, told The National.
“It will have a very limited impact in mobilising support and at least the kind of criticism the party was facing from BJP and others that it was run by Gandhi family will mellow down, at least there would be some defence,” he said.
Contenders
Mr Kharge, 80, is a veteran parliamentarian from southern Karnataka state. He was born into a poor Dalit family, formerly known as untouchables, and started as a student leader.
He joined the party in 1969 and experienced an extremely fast rise through its ranks. He is known to be a grass roots politician and a Gandhi “loyalist”.
Mr Tharoor, 66, is a parliamentarian from neighbouring Kerala state and one of the most erudite politicians in the country.
Born in London, Mr Tharoor formerly served as a diplomat, even becoming under secretary general of the UN. He has also written several books.
He was first to declare his intention to run for the elections while Mr Kharge’s nomination came after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot backed out, amid discontent in the state party unit.
While the Gandhis have reiterated a neutral stance, Mr Kharge is seen as the favourite and the “unofficial candidate”, with a large number of senior leaders backing him.
Despite contrasting backgrounds and demeanours, both candidates have said that they look forward to working together for the party, regardless of the results.
“I am confident. The fate of the Congress Party is in the hands of party workers,” Mr Tharoor said.
“The odds have been stacked against us, as the party leaders and establishment are overwhelming with the other candidate.”
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Aaron Finch (captain), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, David Warner, Adam Zampa
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Strait of Hormuz
Fujairah is a crucial hub for fuel storage and is just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond.
The strait is 33 km wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just three km wide in either direction. Almost a fifth of oil consumed across the world passes through the strait.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait, a move that would risk inviting geopolitical and economic turmoil.
Last month, Iran issued a new warning that it would block the strait, if it was prevented from using the waterway following a US decision to end exemptions from sanctions for major Iranian oil importers.
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
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- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Tips for taking the metro
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
Sonchiriya
Director: Abhishek Chaubey
Producer: RSVP Movies, Azure Entertainment
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Manoj Bajpayee, Ashutosh Rana, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranvir Shorey
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Crazy Rich Asians
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeon, Gemma Chan
Four stars