Belagavi: The Congress on Thursday announced a year-long campaign 'Jai Baapu, Jai Bheem and Jai Samvidhan' through which the party intends to raise issues like the attack on the constitution by the BJP, price rise, corruption and other issues concerning people.
The party also announced 2025 as a year of revamping Congress from all levels from booth level to top level. Two resolutions to this effect were passed at the two-day extended Congress Working Committee Meeting held at Belagavi on Thursday and attended by over 200 delegates, including AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and Opposition Leader in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.
The Jai Baapu, Jai Bheem, Jai Samvidhan campaign, which will be held till January 2026, is going to be one of the massive political campaigns by Congress right from village level to national level, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal said while disclosing details of the resolutions to media persons.
"There will be padayatras, public meetings, rallies and seminars through which we will raise issues like attack on the Constitution, degradation of values of Constitution, price rise and corruption. Congress leaders from all levels will actively take part in it," he added.
As far as organisational revamping is concerned, Venugopal said the exercise will start immediately. "There will be an examination of accountability. There will be a thorough inquiry about the capabilities of the leadership from booth level to top," Venugopal said. These resolutions were adopted after elaborate and effective discussions in the CWC. Over 50 leaders, including Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, spoke in depth about these resolutions, he added. The CWC also decided to hold an AICC session in Gujarat in April 2025 as part of its year-long revamping programme, Venugopal said.
Earlier, addressing the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting here, the party's national president Mallikarjun Kharge reaffirmed his commitment towards the Nehru-Gandhi legacy and urged leaders to unite against the alleged misinformation campaigns of the BJP-led Central government.
Going into 2025, Kharge emphasised the need for a focused and timely strategy to strengthen the party. “We will return from Belagavi with a new resolve. This is not the time for despair but to unite and shatter the lies of our opponents,” said Kharge at the CWC meeting.
He announced that 2025 would be the year for organisational revamp, and the party would fill vacant positions and fully implement the Udaipur Declaration. "We will equip the party with skills needed to win elections, find ideologically committed people who will protect the Constitution and the idea of India," asserted the Congress chief.
Kharge also expressed concerns saying people have lost faith in the electoral process. Accusing the BJP of attempting to capture Constitutional institutions, Kharge said, "What is it that this government is trying to hide by changing election rules that the court ordered to share? People's faith in the electoral process is gradually decreasing and questions are being raised on the impartiality of the Election Commission. BJP wants to capture all constitutional institutions like EC, but we will continue to fight this battle."
Making a strong statement during the CWC meet, the Congress president stated that he will fight till the last breath for Nehru-Gandhi ideology and honour of Babasaheb Ambedkar.
CWC Meeting In Belagavi
The two-day Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting kickstarted in Karnataka’s Belagavi on Thursday under the banner of 'Nav Satyagraha', to discuss the party’s strategy and leadership structure.
The meeting discussed pressing issues of Congress, pertaining to major programmes slated for 2025, apart from changes in the position of the party’s national office bearers, state presidents and in-charges.
Congress will decide on the action plan for the coming year at the 'Nav Satyagraha Baithak' being held to mark the 100th anniversary of the Belgaum session presided over by Mahatma Gandhi in 1924.
About 200 leaders, including CWC members, permanent invitees, special invitees, central election committee members, Pradesh Congress Committee members, CLP leaders of the state, parliamentary party office bearers, and former party chief ministers will attend the session. The Congress has asserted that the 'insult' to BR Ambedkar by Home Minister Amit Shah will be taken up for deliberation at Belagavi and that there will be a strong follow-up on the issue.
Cong Planning Leadership Overhaul?
As per the buzz in political corridors, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has emerged as a leading contender for the role of new national general secretary of Congress. This is being looked at as a strategic move by the Congress to strengthen its foothold in the Hindi belt. The current General Secretary (Organization), KC Venugopal, is likely to return to Kerala as state president, paving the way for Ashok Gehlot, who has been an experienced campaigner in both state and central politics. Other names in contention to take over the critical organisational post, include former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, former Central minister Ajay Maken, and Maharashtra’s Mukul Wasnik. Reports suggest that the party may also announce changes in roles of national office-bearers, and about a dozen state presidents and state in-charges.
The last time Congress held its national convention in Karnataka was on December 26, 1924, in which Mahatma Gandhi was chosen as the party's national president. The Congress is commemorating this historic event with a two-day celebration in Belagavi, which will culminate in a rally on Friday with the slogan ‘Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Constitution’.
Rajasthan’s Political Bigwigs Join CWC Meet
Six prominent Congress leaders from Rajasthan, including Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot, and Govind Singh Dotasra, are attending the CWC meeting. Rajasthan Congress leaders have also been tasked with responsibilities to manage the upcoming assembly elections in Delhi. A total of 35 leaders from the state, including MPs, MLAs, and senior office-bearers, have been assigned responsibilities to oversee different constituencies in Delhi. Sri Ganganagar MP Kuldeep Indora (Bijwasan), Bharatpur MP Sanjana Jatav (Kasturba Nagar), and MLA Ashok Chandna (Kasturba Nagar) have been involved in Delhi’s election strategy. Other prominent leaders such as Rajendra Mood, Archana Sharma, and Pramod Jain Bhaya have also been allocated key constituencies.
