Election Commission says Congress' internal elections should be held by June, refuses to grant extension

The Congress should complete the process of holding its organisational elections by June, the Election Commission has ruled.

According to a recent communication to the Indian National Congress, the Commission has said the process of holding organisational polls should be completed by June, sources said.

Since September, 2015, Congress has on two occasions urged the poll panel to allow it to defer its internal elections.

EC has said it would grant no further extension and the internal polls should be over "latest by June 30, 2017".

Congress has also been asked to submit the list of its new office bearers by July 15 to the Commission.

With the Commission refusing to grant further time to Congress to hold the organisational polls, the demand to anoint Rahul Gandhi party chief could gain momentum after the assembly elections are over on March 8.

Under the EC's rules, all registered political parties have to hold organisational elections annually. But Congress had cited its constitution to say that its internal polls are held every 5 years.