Pawan, Meenakshi, Divya, Praveen, Rajni, Rajiv, Lalitesh, Jaiveer, Bindu, Sushmita, Sam, Kumar, Bhalchandra, Milind….

No, these are not members of a college team to participate in an essay-writing competition. They are members of Rahul Gandhi’s election-management committees that would take on the battle-hardened army of Narendra Modi-Amit Shah in the general election barely 100 days away.

There is widespread dissatisfaction in the Congress over the casual manner in which the election is being handled by Rahul who was expected to put his best foot forward. The Congress has never been a disciplined cadre-based party and sniping has always been an integral part of its character but the difference is this general election is being seen as one with the potential to change the destiny of India.

Although the party feels energised by Rahul’s own powerful campaign, majority of leaders believe he could have selected better commanders to lead the big battle.

Of the three committees comprising 42 members, 11 have never contested any election and at least eight are one-term MLAs or MPs. Insiders believe at least 20 members on the three committees constituted to manage the most crucial election of post-Independent India have no business being there. They blame a few “advisers” who chose to induct their loyalists or lightweights instead of laying stress on merit and experience.

While experience in mass politics and electoral dynamics is indeed a factor, many leaders feel some inexperienced persons can be included on the basis of utility. For instance, nobody objects to the inclusion of Praveen Chakravarty, who is heading the party’s data analytics department, which will play an important role in the election even though he is new to politics. Rajeev Gowda, who heads the party’s research department, is also seen as a valuable addition.

There is no objection to members like Jairam Ramesh, a three-term Rajya Sabha member who hasn’t contested any election, as he has been closely associated with planning and election management for decades.

But the inclusion of several others has caused anger and frustration among a large section of leaders. Their displeasure and disinterest may hurt the party’s prospects at a time every drop is precious in filling the empty bucket.

Asked how he was preparing for the election, a veteran Lok Sabha member said: “I am not interested at all; even if I win again, power will be in the hands of Rajya Sabha leaders. Let them contest and win this time.”

Of the 42 members of the three committees, only four are from the Lok Sabha, while nine current and three former Rajya Sabha members have been inducted.

After Ashok Gehlot shifted to Rajasthan as chief minister, the core group has eight members. A.K. Antony, Ghulam Nabi Azad, P. Chidambaram, Ahmed Patel and Ramesh are all Rajya Sabha members. Mallikarjun Kharge and K.C. Venugopal are from the Lok Sabha. Another member, Randeep Surjewala, is an MLA. Antony, Azad, Patel and Chidambaram have been multi-term Lok Sabha members but have now withdrawn from electoral politics.

In the 19-member manifesto committee, apart from Chidambaram, Ramesh, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Kumari Selja, Salman Khurshid, Mukul Sangma, Manpreet Badal and Tamrajdwaj Sahu, most members are inexperienced. The 14-member publicity committee has veterans like Anand Sharma, Pramod Tiwari and Bhakta Charan Das, along with several greenhorns.

These committees were formed on August 25 when the party was fixated with the Assembly elections.

The critics are by no means suggesting that young blood should not be given a chance.

For instance, changes in Delhi a few days ago, when Rahul brought back the 80-year-old Sheila Dikshit, have also triggered a debate on the choice of people.

A Delhi leader said: “Logic has vanished from appointments. While reverse movement towards Dikshit shows the party has no faith in new leadership, Haroon Yusuf, who is hardly active in his area of Chandni Chowk, has been made working president.

“Devendra Yadav has been made another working president; there are barely a few Yadav villages while Jats, Gujjars and Purvanchali voters have a significance presence in almost all the seats in Delhi. Jatavs, the dominant Scheduled Caste community, have also been ignored.”

Gujarat leaders have already conveyed to Rahul concern about the damage caused by inexperienced leaders. One Gujarat leader said: “Can you imagine Shaktisinh Gohil not being in the election-management committees while Pawan Khera, Jaiveer Shergil, Rajiv Shukla, Kumar Ketkar, Sushmita Dev, Divya Spandana, Sachin Rao, Lalitesh Tripathi, Sam Pitroda, Bindu Krishna, Rajni Patil get in? Digvijaya Singh is out, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Ajay Maken, Kapil Sibal, Shakeel Ahmed are out and Meenakshi Natrajan is in. The party is in self-defeatist mode.”

Many leaders, including those who have been included, admit the composition of the committees reflects complete lack of application of mind. They feel that personal loyalty and personal dislike dictated the inductions and exclusions. Some leaders hope a few changes will be made before it is too late.