Congress meet: Party deliberates upon need to reach out to grassroots; discipline, unity must

In the four-hour-long Congress meet, party leaders asserted the need to make party's presence on the grassroots level. While Priyanka Gandhi suggested focusing on local issues, Sidhu raised the matter of ADG, AG appointment in Punjab. Some leaders also deliberated the need to maintain discipline within the party, reports Niyamika Singh.

New Delhi: The Congress party, on Tuesday, held a meeting of state chiefs, in charges and general secretaries where the members deliberated upon the need to reach out to the grassroots to make a presence in various states. Also, the issue of discipline breach by party members was also being raised in the meeting.

In the opening remarks, Congress President Sonia Gandhi said, "Our own history bears witness to the fact that if an organisation is to succeed against injustice and inequality, if it is to effectively champion the rights of the marginalised, it must become a widespread agitation down to the grassroots."

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According to sources, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also asserted during the meeting that local issues must be raised by the party members and they should stay connected with the regional media. She was also being appreciated by the party members over the decision to give 40 per cent tickets to women in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

Speaking about the party's nationwide membership drive starting November 1, Congress General Secretary and Chief Spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said, "it was unanimously agreed that the Indian National Congress would reach out to every nook and corner, every ward and village across the country and offer Indians in the remotest parts, a platform for their aspirations."

He further added, "it was also agreed that Congress leaders and workers will especially visit the localities and homes of our brothers and sisters belonging to the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and backward classes; hold interactions with these sections by laying special focus on the steps initiated by the Congress Party for their welfare and inclusion. And also identify the way forward for addressing the pain points."

Congress will also launch an Ideological Training Programme as the meeting noted that every party functionary-from ordinary congress workers to the senior-most Congress leader- would need to take on this fight based on the core of the Congress ideology and the founding principles of India.

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It is being informed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was also present in the meeting, reiterated that the party’s resolve is to fight the "sinister attack" on the agriculture sector and millions of farmers, unprecedented unemployment, increase in prices of petrol, diesel, cooking gas, cooking oil, and it must be done by reaching the grassroots level.

Congress is going to launch Jan Jagran Abhiyan with the involvement and participation of the senior party leaders, party functionaries between November 14 and 29.

Meanwhile, the issue of maintaining discipline within the party forum was also being raised. As per the sources, Nagaland PCC Chief Kewekhape Therie stated that party members should maintain some decorum while speaking about party affairs in public.

Before this, Sonia Gandhi had also asserted that there is a paramount need for discipline and unity within the party and leaders should focus more on the strengthening of the organisation, while overriding personal ambitions.

While giving a report on the political situation in Punjab, PCC Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu again raised the sacrilege matter saying that earlier, there was a lot of anti-incumbency in the state which has now been reduced, a party insider informed. Sidhu also questioned the appointment of ADG and AG of Punjab before the Congress leadership at the party meeting.