Kharge to host open house sessions with Cong workers and high command

According to party insiders, former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi could not be available in their AICC office due to security reasons and used to receive party delegations at their respective residences. But those meetings could not be termed an open house in the strict sense of the term, reports ETV Bharat's Amit Agnihotri.

New Delhi: In an attempt to bridge the gap between the Congress high command and party workers, party president Mallikarjun Kharge will host an open house session on November 21 at his AICC office, sources said.

“We have started a new system. Kharge will meet party workers at his AICC office from 11 am to 1 pm on November 21. If this goes off well, we would like to continue the practice,” Rajya Sabha member Sayed Naseer Hussain, who is also a coordinator at the Congress president’s office said.

According to party insiders, former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi could not be available in their AICC office due to security reasons and used to receive party delegations at their respective residences. But those meetings could not be termed an open house in the strict sense of the term as most such interactions were appointment-based.

Hence, there was a common refrain from party workers across the country that they had little access to the high command, which created a distance between the ground-level functionaries and the highest party office. Over the past years, this gap contributed to a weakening of the organization hindering the many agitational programs of the grand old party.

The problem was diagnosed after every poll lost over the past eight years but somehow the correctives could not be applied, said party insiders. The candidature of Kharge, who has worked his way up in the party over the past 50 years, had generated hope among the party workers and leaders alike that he would be able to understand their problems and address them.

According to party sources, Kharge has met a wide range of senior leaders since he took charge as Congress president on October 26 but all these were structured interactions. “Such open house sessions would encourage the party workers to come and see their president and share their views with him,” said Hussain.

Old timers acknowledged that interactions with ordinary workers provide valuable information to a political leader. “It is always a learning experience interacting with the workers. They bring such useful information which often helps you prepare political strategy,” Congress veteran Mohsina Kidwai said.

During his presidential campaign, Kharge had stressed rebuilding the organization and implementing the decisions taken at the Udaipur Chintan Shivir in May. After taking over as party chief, he has been working on a plan to roll out the changes and the interactions with the workers would be useful in that exercise, said party insiders.

According to sources, the presence of the AICC president in his office would also push other senior functionaries to be in their offices and be available for party workers. “The practice though desirable had taken a back seat over the past years. The workers would come to the AICC in the hope to see the state in charge but would often leave without meeting them. This created a gap between the workers and leaders,” said a senior AICC functionary.