Party set to bring in 4 resolutions analysing the political, economic, and social situation under the Modi govt, and plan its strategy for crucial polls ahead.
New Delhi: The All India Congress Committee’s three-day plenary session in the capital beginning Friday will have more than one first. Not only is it the first plenary since Rahul Gandhi took charge as president of the party but it also aims to keep the focus on party workers instead of leaders.
In the past, the focus remained largely on senior party leaders, and workers were invited to listen and approve resolutions prepared by senior Congress leaders in Delhi.
This time, following Gandhi’s diktat to involve the grassroots in policy-making, block and district-level party workers will get a chance to speak during the session, and suggest ideas which can be implemented, if found useful.
Four resolutions
As per Congress tradition, various resolutions will be presented before AICC members to debate and adopt, with the total number of such resolutions being kept at four. A steering committee under former PM Manmohan Singh is giving final shape to the resolutions.
Political resolution: The party is set to take stock of the political situation in the country, and chalk out the Congress strategy going forward. It is likely to approve the idea of aligning with like-minded parties in different states in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The political resolution will be presented for discussion and adoption on 17 March.
Economic resolution: The Congress will analyse the prevalent economic conditions in the country, and present its own view of them.
“It will focus on highlighting the areas where the current government has faltered, and the vision of how the Congress would work on these areas,” said a party leader privy to the resolution document.
Internal security and external relations: The party is also set to bring out a resolution on internal security, defence and external relations, taking stock of India’s domestic environment as well as foreign relations, the challenges before the country, and the way forward as per the Congress ideology.
Agriculture, employment and poverty alleviation: For the first time, the Congress is set to come out with a resolution on agriculture, poverty alleviation, employment, and issues pertaining to women, minorities, and SC/STs. The resolution will have sub-sections on each of these topics. For example, on agriculture, the party will present a vision statement on how agrarian reforms should take place in a meaningful manner. Similarly, on unemployment, the party will present a proper roadmap, analysing the job situation under the Modi government and how the Congress plans to tackle it.
Taking the debate to the streets
In order to provide grassroot workers with factual information highlighting the failures of the Modi government, the Congress will distribute five booklets in Hindi and English to all the workers attending the session. These booklets will cover agriculture, jobs and youth, minorities and SC/STs’ issues, national security and policy, and corruption and scams.
“The idea is to take the debate from TV studios to the streets and empower the workers with information so that they can counter the lies of the BJP,” said a Congress leader.
“The information would be in a simple format with five to six bullet points, highlighting and explaining all the scams and policy mismanagement under the Modi government.”
State Congress units will be tasked with translating the booklets into regional languages, and distributing them among party workers to make them aware of the real issues, when they talk to the electorate within their areas.
AICC members will also validate Gandhi’s election as Congress president.
President’s addresses
Rahul Gandhi will address the party on the morning of 17 March, the second day of the three-day plenary, with a brief outline.
Then, on 18 March, he will speak at length in his concluding address.
The plenary might mark the first time in her 20 years in politics that Sonia Gandhi does not address a session ever. Though her name doesn’t feature in the list of speakers, party sources said she could if workers requested her to make a speech.