Sonia Gandhi to set up empowered action group for 2024 polls

Over 400 party leaders from across the country are expected to brainstorm during the three-day session on issues like trampling upon the rights of the weaker sections, youth and students, women and restructuring the party organization, reports ETV Bharat's Amit Agnihotri

New Delhi: The Congress on Monday said clarity on the fate of poll manager Prashant Kishor will emerge after a few days when party chief Sonia Gandhi will set up an empowered action group for the 2024 national elections. Sonia, along with several senior leaders had been debating a plan submitted by Kishor on how to revive the Congress ahead of the 2024 national polls over the past week. The discussions also figured out whether to induct Kishor as a member or hire him as a consultant.

“When the Congress chief finalizes the empowered action group for 2014 polls you will get to know the names of persons who are in it,” Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told reporters. “This group will work for the 2024 national polls and the assembly elections that will come before that,” he said. Surjewala was part of the eight-member group that had been set up by Sonia to review the revival plan suggested by Kishor on April 16. The other members included AK Antony, P Chidambaram, Ambika Soni, Jairam Ramesh, Digvijay Singh, KC Venugopal and Mukul Wasnik.

The panel submitted its report on April 21, which was discussed by Sonia on Monday. The Congress also announced the dates for its larger strategy session called the Nav Sankalp Shivir which will be held in Udaipur, Rajasthan from May 13-15. According to Surjewala, the broad focus of the Nav Sankalp Shivir would be to frame a strategy for the 2024 national elections and take stock of the current political, social and economic challenges in the country. Over 400 party leaders from across the country are expected to brainstorm during the three-day session on issues like trampling upon the rights of the weaker sections, youth and students, women and restructuring the party organization.

Congress managers have identified the ongoing farm crisis as a major issue and will debate it at the Udaipur session. For that purpose, Sonia on Monday formed a panel, headed by former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, which will submit a detailed report. The other members of the panel include Punjab CLP leader Partap Singh Bajwa, Chhattisgarh health minister TS Singh Deo, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole, Madhya Pradesh leader Arun Yadav, and former Uttar Pradesh unit chief Ajay Kumar Lallu.

Congress also decided to set up various coordination groups for the Chintan Shivir. Mallikarjun Kharge will head the political group, P Chidambaram the economy group, Salman Khurshid the group on social justice and empowerment, Mukul Wasnik on organization and Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Warring on youth empowerment. The Congress had backed the year-long agitation of farmers over three laws that were withdrawn last year by the Centre and believes that several demands of the peasants have not been addressed.

The brainstorming session had been called for after the party’s poor show in the five recent assembly polls. The party at present rules only in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and shares power in Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and Maharashtra. In this backdrop, the central focus of the brainstorming session would be to work out a strategy to restrengthen the Congress ahead of the 2024 national elections and how to forge alliances with like-minded parties to jointly take on the BJP.