As the Congress gets ready for its Chintan Shivir, to be held in Udaipur from Friday to Sunday (May 13 to 15), the party leadership is keen that the participants get into a huddle, fully aware of the magnitude of the crisis that the party faces. The leadership is aware that cosmetic changes aren't enough for the party, and wants the event to come up with a clear plan of action and a mechanism to implement the same.
According to a senior Congress leader, the discussions initiated by party chief Sonia Gandhi with regard to Chintan Shivir have laid great emphasis on the need for the party to clearly spell out a plan of action for carrying out organinsational changes. There was also greater focus on mode of connecting with people and forming alliances with an eye on the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
“The Udaipur declaration will clearly spell out a plan of action, and it will be accompanied by a mechanism for implementation. That is what the declarations of the earlier Chintan Shivirs, be it Panchmarhi or Shimla or Jaipur, lacked,” the leader said.
There will be clarity on whose responsibility it will be to implement the actionable points spelt out in the declaration and what will be the time-frame for it. “It will be an action-oriented Nav Sankalp. It will not be a manifesto,” the leader said.
An attempt will be made to orient the discussions and conclusions towards 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“In 2022, the context (for Chintan Shivir) is unique and unprecedented. We have lost several elections. We are not in power at the Centre. We are in power in only two states. Even in 2003, when the Congress was in the opposition at the Centre, it had 15 chief ministers. There is no parallel in the last 30-40 years to the context in 2022. The focus of the meeting has to be the organisation. We have state elections in 2022 and 2023. But majority of the discussion will be on how to shape up with an eye on the Lok Sabha elections in 2024,” the leader said.
The Congress president had set up six groups to shortlist issues for discussion under six heads – politics, economics, farmers, social justice, youth and organisation. The issues highlighted by these groups will form the crux of the introspection to be undertaken at the three-day conclave.
The challenge posed by polarisation of the society and dominance of the majoritarian narrative, to the extent of rendering ineffective bread and butter issues, is amongst the most important topics to be discussed at the meet.
Amongst the organisational issues shortlisted for discussion is the need to have a sustained agitation against the ruling dispensation. A group on agitations had been set up by the Congress president some months ago, which was headed by senior party leader Digvijaya Singh and included amongst others AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The group has prepared a roadmap for agitations on various issues, with programmes to be taken up over a course of two years. This will also be discussed at the Chintan Shivir.
Downplaying the hype over suggestion made by the group on organisational changes to have 'one family, one ticket', which would have an impact on the Gandhi family as well, the senior leader said this is one amongst over 35 suggestions that have to be discussed at Udaipur.
The Udaipur conclave will begin Friday afternoon with the opening remarks of the Congress president. After that, the over 430 delegates invited to take part in the brainstorming session will split into six groups to discuss the shortlisted issues. These groups will submit their reports on Sunday evening. The congress working committee will meet at 11:30 am Sunday to discuss and finalise the draft of the 'Nav Sankalp' (New Determination). Later that day, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi will address the gathering and the party chief will make her final remarks.
