Time to repay our debt, be united: Sonia tells Congress

The meeting of the Congress Working Committee has been called to review the preparations for the chintan shivir in Udaipur from May 13-15 to prepare a broad roadmap for the 2024 national elections, writes Amit Agnihotri

New Delhi:It was time for the Congress leaders to repay the debt they owed to the party and be united as there was no magic wand to ensure the party’s revival, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi said on Monday.

"There are no magic wands. It is only selfless work, discipline and a sense of consistent collective purpose that will enable us to demonstrate our tenacity and resilience. The party has been good to each and every one of us. Now is the time to repay that debt in full measure. Self-criticism is of course needed in our party forums. But this should not be done in a manner that self-confidence and morale is eroded and an atmosphere of gloom and doom becomes all-pervasive," Sonia told the leaders at the CWC meeting.

The meeting of the Congress Working Committee has been called to review the preparations for the chintan shivirin Udaipur from May 13-15 to prepare a broad roadmap for the 2024 national elections.

"We are therefore meeting in Udaipur on May 13th, 14th and 15th. Around 400 of our colleagues will participate. The vast majority of them hold or have held one position or the other in the organization or in the Union government. We have made every effort to ensure balanced representation—balance from every angle," she said.

"I request for your full cooperation in ensuring that the single over-riding message of unity, cohesion, determination and commitment to our party’s accelerated revival goes forth loud and clear from Udaipur," said Sonia.

The Congress chief said that the Chintan Shivir should not become a ritual that has to be gone through. ‘I am determined that it should herald a restructured organization to meet the many ideological, electoral and managerial challenges we confront,’ she said.

Sonia said the party will have an amendment to party’s constitution for digital membership. ‘Our deliberations will be in six groups. These will take up political, economic, social justice, farmers, youth and organizational issues. Delegates have already been informed about which group in which they are expected to participate. On the afternoon of May 15th we will be adopting the Udaipur Nav Sankalp after it has been approved by the CWC there,’ she said.