Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the party’s President Mallikarjun Kharge arrive to cast their votes during the election for the post of secretary of the Constitution Club of India, in New Delhi, on Tuesday
| Photo Credit:
PTI
The 77-year old Constitution Club of India (CCI) on Delhi’s Rafi Marg is the scene of an enthralling BJP vs BJP fight, as two candidates from the party are throwing all their might into the club’s elections to wrest the top post .
Flamboyant BJP MP from Bihar and commercial pilot Rajiv Pratap Rudy, who has been Secretary (Administration) of the CCI for over two decades now, is facing a tough contest from his BJP colleague Sanjeev Kumar Baliyan — a Jat leader of Western UP. Both have been Union Ministers in the Modi government.
Show of strength
Heavy weights from the BJP and the Congress — Amit Shah and JP Nadda, and Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge — turned up on Tuesday at the stately club, meant for sitting and former MPs, to cast their votes. Normally, the CCI elections are a routine affair, but this time around it has become a show of strength after Baliyan, a one time friend of Rudy, entered the fray reportedly with the mandate to end “party-baazi” culture in the club at the behest of the Union Minister Amit Shah.
However, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju told reporters after casting his vote, “Constitution Club election is not political…There is no meaning of ‘party-baazi’ here.”
While Sonia Gandhi voted, her son Rahul Gandhi and daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra did not as they have not taken the membership of the CCI, a Congress leader said.
Intensive campaign
Nishikant Dubey, the BJP MP from Godda seat of Jharkhand, virtually took over the campaign of Baliyan to criticise Rudy for commercialising the Club. “Have you ever seen such a crowd in the Constitution Club election in the last 25 years? The reason is that MPs had no say here. This club belonged to IAS, IPS officers, middlemen and businessmen. The dignity has returned today. Senior members are coming to vote and they want change,” Dubey said.
Defending himself, Rudy, credited by many for jazzing up the dilapidated CCI, stated that he had to open up the Club to make it financially viable since it does not get any government grant. Ahead of voting, he circulated a video message. “Over the past two decades, my colleagues have worked tirelessly to transform CCI from a rundown, dilapidated building into a vibrant, world-class space. I invite you to spare just two minutes to watch the video of our remarkable journey to create a brand ‘Constitution Club’, giving all of us a sense of pride,” he said.
About two decades back, Rudy had defeated former President Ram Nath Kovind to become the Club’s secretary. Over 700 votes were cast on Tuesday and the results are expected to be declared late in the night.
Published on August 12, 2025
