Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru is likely to be the next Congress President. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad who has held this office for six years now-the longest period for any individual to be Congress President-in a statement on Friday declared that under the present circumstances, Pandit Nehru is the best choice. He adds that his colleagues in the Working Committee share his view.
Maulana Azad says: “Now that the election of Congress delegates from the different provinces is over and the time has come for the choice of President for the next year. I consider it my duty to place my views on the question before the public. Ever since I came out of jail there have been suggestions from various quarters that I should continue as President for another year. I have tried to discourage such moves and for reasons which I shall now place before the public. I have borne the responsibilities of Congress President for over six years continuously, a period that was unprecedented in the history of the Congress. Circumstances were such that this was inevitable and I have tried to discharge my duties and serve my country to the best of my ability. Now, however. I must ask to be excused.
“After considering all aspects of the question, it is my belief that the person best suited to carry out these duties in the changed circumstances is Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. This is my personal opinion, but I am glad to find from informal discussions with friends and colleagues that they share my opinion. The choice. however, is with the delegates and they are free to exercise their right as they will.”
The Congress President Maulana Abul Kalam Azad had an hour’s conference with Mahatma Gandhi early on Friday morning before by issued his directive to the Congress delegates recommending the name of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru for the Congress presidentship for the next year.
Opinion in Congress High Command circles is that as soon as the result of the Congress presidential election is known a meeting of the All-India Congress Committee will be called at Bombay about the beginning of June and at that meeting the new President will take over charge of the affairs of the Congress from the retiring President. Normally the new President takes over charge on the eve of the plenary session of the Congress but owing to the abnormal conditions to the country the annual plenary session of the Congress “has been delayed and therefore the newly elected President is to take charge of the office at the next meeting of the All-India Congress Committee.
The All-India Congress Committee itself will be a new body and, according to the Congress constitution it is competent to transact all the business of the Congress. Nowhere in the Congress constitution is it laid down that the change-over from one President to another should be made only at the plenary session of the Congress.
The new All-India Congress Committee when it meets in Bombay in the first week of June, will be called upon to endorse whatever decision the Congress Working Committee arrives at in regard to the present political negotiations with the British Cabinet Mission.
