The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Sunday decided to hold election for the party president on October 17, around a month later than the schedule announced earlier.

The last date for filing nominations is September 30 when it will be clear whether voting is necessary or not. If there is only one candidate, which is a distinct possibility, there won’t be any voting and the lone candidate will be declared victorious. The nomination starts on September 24. If there is a contest, counting of votes will happen on October 19.

Nobody objected to the new schedule proposed by Central Election Authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry at the CWC meet. Sonia Gandhi, Rahul and Priyanka participated in the meeting through videoconference from the hospital room in the US. Many other members, including Manmohan Singh, participated online while others were physically present at the party headquarters. The CWC wished the ailing Sonia “full and speedy” recovery at the earliest.

Though it is still not clear whether Rahul will contest the election or not, there is unanimity among party functionaries and ordinary workers that he should lead the party at this critical juncture. Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s name has cropped up as the most acceptable alternative in case Rahul remained rigid. The vicious attack by Ghulam Nabi Azad and the insinuation about a puppet being installed might have increased pressure on the Gandhi family to rethink.

There is no dispute about Rahul being the supreme leader in the party, considered both within and outside the Congress to be best suited to combat Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rahul will remain the engine of the Congress campaign, as will be manifested at the September 4 anti-price rise rally in Delhi and Bharat Jodo Yatra beginning three days later from Kanyakumari but the dominant opinion in the party is that this understanding should be formalised with his selection as party chief.

The reality in the party is that the dissenters hardly have the political clout to challenge Rahul, or his choice for the top post.

Party communications chief Jairam Ramesh said after the CWC meeting: “Congress is the only political party in the country to hold elections like this. Elections to the post of party president happened in the past and will continue to happen.”

Though actual elections have not taken place at the lower levels in the states, democratic pressures do become a factor in the choice of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates, AICC members and office-bearers.

Two recent elections for the post of party president have demonstrated it is extremely difficult to counter the might of the entrenched forces that control the electoral college. In 1997, an uncharismatic Sitaram Kesri easily warded off the challenge from veteran Sharad Pawar and dynamic Rajesh Pilot who contested for the president’s post. While both Pawar and Pilot campaigned actively, criss-crossing the country in private jets to meet the voters from states, Kesri won the election despite being completely confined to his home.

While Kesri got 6,227 votes, Pawar could manage barely 882 votes and Pilot 354.

Again in 2000, Jitendra Prasada contested against Sonia Gandhi to a crashing defeat.

Even this time, there is nobody who can challenge the supremacy and clout of Rahul as he commands blind support of an overwhelming section of the party rank and file despite grudges and jibes about dynasty from within and outside the party.