Cong has 11-page plan for revival

An 11-page note based on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s discussions with a cross-section of leaders will form the basis of the process to revive the party which is reeling under successive electoral losses.

A cover letter sent to the state unit chiefs by Congress president Sonia Gandhi along with the note asks them to elicit views and “coalesce consensus” on three core areas – party ideology, organisational reforms required to devolve power and way forward for the party to win back confidence of the people.

Some of the issues mentioned in the note are expected to figure in the meeting of the Congress Working Committee summoned by party president Sonia Gandhi.

Disappointed by the party’s dismal performance, the Congress now wants to fix accountability on its leaders for not delivering the promised results.

At the same time, the note recognises that the Gandhis – the Congress president and vice-president – have “enormous credibility and emotional connect” with the people and the party “must harness this political capital and protect it assiduously”.

Faced with leaders making out of turn remarks that leave the party red-faced, the Congress also plans to “strictly enforce” discipline at all levels by taking prompt action against instances of factionalism.

Many of these issues could figure in the CWC meeting which has been called to discuss the “current political situation” in the country. There have been demands from a section of the party leadership for elevation of Rahul to the post of Congress president, but sources said this may not be on agenda of Tuesday’s meeting.

Gandhi has sought inputs from the state units to finalise the “agenda for action” and the way forward for its ratification in the next AICC session likely in March.

The 11-page note is based on the suggestions made during a series of discussions Rahul held with around 450 leaders on ways and means to revive the party over the last three months.

With the youth predominantly voting for BJP in the Lok Sabha polls, the note mentions that the Congress “cannot ignore the aspirations of the sections of the urban middle class which cuts across caste and religion.”
DH News Service