Gogoi's shift triggers moves for next Cong deputy leader in LS

Time of India

2 days ago

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The appointment of Gaurav Gogoi as Assam PCC president has set off hushed discussions in Congress circles about who could be the next deputy leader of the party in the Lok Sabha , a post Gogoi has been holding, which is technically right below the leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi , in the Congress benches. While the AICC announcement of Gogoi's shift to state politics didn't say anything about his LS post, many feel that relieving him of the post would be a practical requirement as otherwise many in the Assam electorate may feel that Gogoi's PCC presidentship is just an interim arrangement with a back-up job in Delhi.Congress campers say Rahul Gandhi alone will make the choice of his next deputy, even if the announcement would be left to CPP chairperson Sonia Gandhi. "The criteria that mattered most in the pick of Gogoi as LS deputy leader, and now as PCC chief, is his close friendship with Rahulji. Whether personal closeness will be again the real criteria or, merit and effectiveness in the House will also be considered in naming our new LS deputy leader by the monsoon session is being watched, more so when the Congress benches have to deal with an aggressive government and many competing opposition parties," said a senior party leader.Many of them, including some party MPs, feel if personal profile, Parliamentary proficiency, debating skills in Hindi and English and the ability to stand ground are considered, senior MPs Shashi Tharoor (from South) and Manish Tewari (from North) can qualify for the post. But some of them also feel Tharoor and Tewari also 'carry a risk', of potentially outshining Gandhi in their debate and Parliamentary skills. Whether their 'dare' in joining the outreach delegation will be now used to 'build a case' to neutralise the 'risk' is being debated.Another fitting choice for the post, party circles think, is six-term Congress MP Kumari Selja , the Dalit woman leader, AICC general secretary and the only one among the 99 Congress members to have held a Union cabinet rank in the past. While her political-social profile, gender and Parliamentary experience add to her case, she is also seen to be a no political or personal pushover.If playing it straight is the criteria Gandhi prefers, party circles feel, then AICC general secretary (org) and Congress front-bencher in the LS, KC Venugopal, on whom Gandhi leans almost always for advice during the House proceedings (besides other party matters) could be made his deputy in the House as well by institutionalising his de facto role.While supporters of Priyanka Gandhi consider her as a 'natural deputy and successor' of Gandhi, some feel her elevation can further cement the case of 'family first' tag besides catering 'to two power centre play'.Kodikunnil Suresh is the senior-most Congress MP but he is already the chief whip in the House. Beyond all these, the Congress campers say, Gandhi always has the 'plentiful' luxury of picking 'zero-risk' political lightweight MPs by citing social justice and regional criteria as his next House deputy.