Bengaluru, Jul 24 (PTI) AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal on Friday said that the Congress will hold its organisation strengthening programme, ‘Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan,’ with the appointment of new district unit chiefs across Karnataka, and asserted that the party will return to power in the 2028 Assembly polls.
Venugopal attended the meeting regarding the ‘Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan’ at the party office here with Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, former CM Siddaramaiah, state Congress President B K Hariprasad, AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala among others.
“It was a fruitful meeting. Thankful to the PCC chief, CM and in-charge. We have said that the selection of DCC presidents in Karnataka should be completed before August 24. Observers will be neutral. They will find the most capable person in that district to become a president. They will choose 6 names but on a preference basis,” Venugopal told reporters after the meeting.
Asked whether this was being done keeping 2028 Assembly polls and 2029 Lok Sabha polls in mind, he said, “The situation in the nation is quite alarming. The situation in the nation demands that Congress come forward with greater vigilance, and it must be victory-oriented. Certainly in the 2028 Karnataka election, I am very sure that under the leadership of D K Shivakumar, Hariprasad and Siddaramaiah, we are going to form the government again. Not only the Assembly election, but we will also win the 2029 Parliament election.” Stating that the Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan involves the process for selecting DCC presidents, Venugopal said that last year in Belagavi, when the party celebrated the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi as its President, the Congress Working Committee’s (CWC) extended meeting was held. It was decided there to launch a large-scale Sangathan Surjan Abhiyan to empower the organisation from the grassroots to the top. “That means booth committee to Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) level.” Subsequently, 2025-26 was declared the year of organisational strengthening, he said. Following its ratification at the Ahmedabad AICC meet, the process started in Gujarat state.
Noting that the Congress has 1,054 districts all over India, the party leader said, “Out of these 1,054 districts, we have already announced 762 DCC presidents. The DCC president selection is one of the key factors in the abhiyan. After that DCC president selection, DCC office bearers, block committee office bearers, mandal committees, and booth committees will be formed in the same pattern.” Only a few states like Kerala, Assam, West Bengal, and UP are yet to complete this process, Venugopal said. Now, in Karnataka, the party is going ahead with this process along with a few union territories.
Pointing out that Karnataka has 40 organisational districts, Venugopal said the party appointed senior leaders, including CWC members, MPs, MLAs, Ministers, former ministers, as observers.
“These people are going to the districts. They will stay there for a minimum of seven days, and they will interact with the local leadership and other independent organisations, influencers. And they will choose six names from that district,” he said.
Highlighting that the party has set parameters requiring 50 per cent of DCC Presidents to be under 50 years old, the AICC leader added that social balancing is also crucial, requiring a minimum of 50 per cent to be SC, ST, OBC, or minority.
“In that way, these 6 names will be submitted. Then we will have a personal discussion with the PCC chief, CM, in-charge general secretary, and CWC member. And finally, in the presence of Rahul Gandhi (Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha), we will make the final decision on the DCC president. This is the procedure which we are following,” he said.
Stating that the DCC presidents will be evaluated, Venugopal said that their achievements and any organisational revamping they have undertaken after becoming president will be analysed.
“After analysing, a decision will be taken on whether he or she has to continue or not,” he added. PTI KSU ADB
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