Sonia approves Rahul's plan to revive Congress party

Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who is back in action after a brief illness, has shot off letters to All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretaries putting her seal of approval on vice president Rahul Gandhi’s plans to seek views of the state and district leaders on the future of the organisation.

Sonia also directed the party leaders to hold a meeting on Monday to put in place a plan of action to take on the government on issues such as the controversial amendments to the Land Acquisition Law.

The party hopes to latch on to the opportunity thrown up by the government’s decision to promulgate an ordinance on land acquisition. The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, passed by the UPA-II regime after much pushing by Sonia had run foul with the industrial sector which found it difficult to acquire land for several projects. And, Modi government, soon after coming to power in May, made it clear that it would amend the act to attract private and foreign investments.

A meeting of AICC general secretaries has been convened on Monday by Janardan Dwivedi, who is in-charge of organisational matters, to chalk out plans to launch a nationwide agitation against the government.

The other issues on the table are the Centre’s decision to dismantle the Planning Commission, a legacy Jawaharlal Nehru, the country’s first prime minister, besides the thrust on promulgating ordinances to enact laws.