Congress approves 50% quota for SC, ST, OBC and women in top committee

The Congress steering committee on Friday approved several amendments to the party constitution, one of which is to give permanent membership to former prime ministers and former party presidents in the all-powerful working committee.

The party will also amend the constitution to provide reservation of up to 50 per cent to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs, women, minorities and the youth in the Congress Working Committee (CWC).

Congress general secretary communications Jairam Ramesh said one of the amendments is that prime minister and former prime ministers belonging to the party, former party presidents and leaders of the party in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will be made permanent members of the CWC.

He said the changes are being made to as many as 16 articles and 32 rules, the most important of which is to provide for 50 per cent reservation in the working committee to SCs, STs, OBCs, women, minorities and the youth.

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The amendment to be brought in the party constitution says "among the 23 members of the Congress Working Committee (other than the president of the Congress and the chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary party, the Congress prime minister/former prime ministers, the leaders of the Congress party in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and former presidents of the Congress party), it shall be ensured that 50 per cent reservation is given to SCs/STs/OBCs/minorities/youth and women." The constitution will ensure that there should be 50 per cent reservation for those below 50 years of age at all levels from mandal to state.

The party will also provide 50 per cent reservation to women, SCs, STs, OBCs, minorities and the youth at all bodies of the AICC.

The party's constitution will stipulate for members to abstain from consuming any psychotropic substances or drugs and work in propagating against the use of such substances, party sources said.

The Congress steering committee earlier decided unanimously to empower the Congress president to nominate members of the CWC.

The 85th plenary session of the Congress began in Nava Raipur in Chhattisgarh on Friday.