JOIN USRevival plan, Lok Sabha polls on agenda as Congress leaders head to Udaipur
Selected Congress leaders headed to Udaipur in Rajasthan for a three-day ‘Chintan Shivir’ starting Friday to chalk out a revival plan for the party that has faced the worst electoral reverses in a decade and make it combat ready for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The 430 leaders, invited to the ‘Nav Sankalp Chintan Shivir’ that ends on Sunday with a declaration, will discuss ways on time-bound party restructuring and find ways to oppose the BJP’s “politics of polarisation and bulldozer of bigotry”.
Half of the delegates will be under 50 years of age, while 21 per cent are women.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi has set the tone for the conclave, saying it is expected to herald a “restructured organisation” while reminding leaders that the party that has been “said good to each and every one of us” is at a “crucial juncture” and it expects “total allegiance”.
At a Congress Working Committee meeting on Monday to discuss the Chintan Shivir, she said it should “not be a ritual”. She repeated that there is no “magic wand” to revive the party but reminded leaders that it is “imperative” that “step forward and repay our debt to the party in full measure”.
She welcomed self-criticism in party fora but warned against using it in a manner that “erodes self-confidence and morale” leading to an atmosphere of “gloom and doom”. To the contrary, she said, we are beholden to putting our heads together and, together, collectively overcoming the challenges that face us.
Congress has chosen six areas—political, Social Justice & Empowerment, Economy, Congress Organisation, Farmers and Agriculture Workers, and youth—and panels have been set up to present their “first impressions for a conclusive discussion” during the conclave.
The leaders will be divided into groups which will take up different issues and discuss roadmaps for the party, and the conclusions will be presented to Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Thereafter, the Congress Working Committee will give the final shape to the declaration.
In Delhi, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the roadmap that will be prepared in Udaipur will provide a way forward not only for the Congress to meet the current set of “reverses and challenges” but will also pave the way for a resilient, strong and inclusive nation.
“Udaipur will be a new milestone of hope, aspirations and change,” he added.