Congress defers conclave plan

With the Congress is busy countering the Opposition parties’ tirade in the wake of the Ramdev and Anna Hazare’s agitations against graft, the conclave has now been rescheduled for November, ahead of the winter session of Parliament, party sources said.

As a series of state elections,  including in the key state of Uttar Pradesh, are lined up next year, the Congress conclave is expected to generate new ideas with the aim of facing the challenges before it.

The “Chintan Shivir,” which is likely to be held in the party-ruled Rajasthan, is likely to provide  an opportunity for mid-term assessment of UPA’s two years in power. The hill resort of Mount Abu may be the possible venue of the party conclave.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi had, during the AICC plenary here in December last year, announced plans to hold such a conclave.

She said that it would give the party an opportunity to refresh its perspectives on crucial national issues and also review the organisational functioning.

“It will be an occasion to hear the voices of our colleagues, particularly the younger ones, to bring new energy to our thinking,” she had said at the plenary.

The “Chintan Shivir” is being organised at a time when the Congress and the coalition government it runs at the Centre are facing difficult times in the wake of a series of scams and the situation caused by the agitations against corruption and black money.