'Mood of nation against BJP': Congress fast tracks 2024 Lok Sabha poll preparations amid 'huge demand' for Rahul Gandhi's Yatra 2.0

The Congress on Thursday asserted that it would be in election mode without any delay and candidates for the Lok Sabha polls would be decided soon with the constitution of the screening and manifesto committees later month. Reports ETV Bharat's Amit Agnihotri.

New Delhi:The Congress on Thursday claimed that the mood of the nation was against the BJP and decided to get into the 2024 Lok Sabha poll mode immediately. Ahead of the polls, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will launch his Bharat Jodo Yatra part two around the middle of January from the northeast and will culminate it around the middle of March in Gujarat.

“The mood of the country is against the BJP. There is no level playing field in the country and inside the Parliament. The BJP suspended 146 MPs to show that only the saffron party is fit to rule the country. But the fact is that the government is dictatorial and does not want to have any opposition inside the Parliament,” AICC general secretary in charge of organization KC Venugopal said.

“We have decided to get into poll mode without any delay. Parliamentary candidates will be announced soon. The screening and manifesto committees for the Lok Sabha polls will be announced in December. Party chief Mallikarjun Kharge has reviewed Lok Sabha poll preparation in around 23 states. The review in the remaining states will be completed in December. The CWC members have been asked to start preparing for the parliamentary elections in their respective states,” he said.

The party leader’s remarks came after the Congress Working Committee discussed the 2024 national polls roadmap for around three hours. Venugopal said that as there was a huge demand from the party workers for a second Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi, the CWC members urged him to take a decision which will be announced soon. Unlike the Bharat Jodo Yatra part one last year, the second part of the yatra would be in a hybrid mode which would involve the use of cars and foot march.

Party sources said the yatra part 2 is likely to be called the Bharat Vijay Sankalp 2024. The CWC also reviewed the party’s foundation day rally on December 28 in Nagpur where all the members of the top body and state leaders would be present. “It is going to be a massive rally of between 5 to 10 lakh people. It will convey a big message,” said Venugopal.

The recent losses in four states Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram were also discussed by the CWC which came to the view that though the outcomes were disappointing, the Congress was still strong there with a vote share of around 40 percent. To mobilize party workers, the CWC decided to hold conventions in all the states over the coming weeks which will be attended by various senior leaders.

While the Congress plans to hit the ground running ahead of the 2024 national polls, the grand old party will also coordinate the agitational plans of the opposition alliance INDIA. “The INDIA alliance will fight the polls together but its programs will be separate. Kharge has formed a panel which will take views on seat sharing with the respective state in charge and the matter will then be taken within the alliance,” said Venugopal.