In a move aimed at getting better connect with women voters and also training women cadre in electoral politics, the MP Congress Committee (MPCC) is all set to mandatorily include members of its women's wing—the Mahila Congress—in the ground level poll network of the party.
The move comes ahead of the looming local bodies polls, and with an eye on the 2023 assembly polls.
In the local bodies' polls, 50 per cent seats are reserved for women. Also the MP Mahila Congress wants to be ready with well-trained, active women at every level of the MP Congress network, with a hope of replication of the 40 per cent seats for women formula floated by Congress national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi in Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, state president of the Mahila Congress Archana Jaiswal told THE WEEK.
She said that rather than trying to set up separate parallel committees of Mahila Congress at different levels across state for the upcoming polls, a plan has been mooted for mandatory inclusion of Mahila Congress members into the (polling) booth, sector and mandal level committees of the MP Congress.
“The proposal has been put before MP Congress chief Kamal Nath and he has consented to it. Soon the Mahila Congress members will be included in the said committees,” Jaiswal, who was appointed MP Mahila Congress president in July this year, said.
Also the state unit of Mahila Congress will undergo a major organisational restructuring soon to do away with the dead wood and infuse new energy in form of active faces, she added.
She was speaking to THE WEEK after a meeting of the state level office bearers and district Mahila Congress presidents held on Tuesday at MPCC headquarters in Bhopal to discuss the functioning and activities of the women's wing. MPCC president and ex-chief minister Kamal Nath was present at the meeting.
Jaiswal said that the proposal is to include at least three Mahila Congress members each in the 11-member sector and mandal committees across state and at least one Mahila Congress member in the five-member booth level committees.
The MP Congress ground network includes 850 block level panels. Each block has three mandals and each mandal in turn comprises three sectors of 10 polling booths each. "The idea is to ensure that there are a considerable number of active well trained women with direct ground connect available either to contest the polls or to help the contesting candidates," she said.
Speaking at the meeting, Kamal Nath said that the culture of the country was under attack from some power-hungry, anti-Constitution people and this is a big concern for the future of the country and the newer generation. "The women Congress members are the biggest power of the party and they will have to play a role in reaching out to youngsters and women with awareness on the true diverse culture and heritage of the country and Constitutional values," he said.
Nath also said that politics has undergone massive change in the country, women members have to understand this change and draw strategy likewise. Links should be established with social and community organisations to expand reach.
Nath also flagged off an awareness foot march of MP Mahila Congress aimed at exposing anti-people policies and moves of the BJP government in centre and state. Jaiswal told THE WEEK that the Mahila Congress proposes to hold regular foot marches at various levels (district, blocks, mandals, sectors) right until 2023 assembly polls to create this awareness.
Also, young women in the age group 19-29 years will be made members of the Indira Brigade of the Mahila Congress and given all kinds of support including career counselling, self-defense training, legal aid if needed as well as information on constitutional values and fabric of the country, she said. These young women will then in course of time be inducted as full-time members of Mahila Congress, Jaiswal added, outlining the strategy of base expansion.
