New Delhi: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge will brief the Congress Working Committee (CWC) about the recent poll losses in four states and take the top body into confidence on the deliberations at the INDIA alliance meeting held on December 19, on Thursday. He will also discuss a roadmap for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“The CWC meeting is happening at a very crucial moment. It is taking place a day after the opposition alliance meeting so, naturally, the Congress chief will take the party body into confidence over the deliberations with like-minded parties,” CWC member Tariq Anwar told this channel.
CWC member Ghulam Ahmed Mir said, “The Congress chief is likely to brief the CWC over the recent five assembly polls, four of which we lost. Though the party chief has reviewed the poll losses in the four states with the respective teams, he will brief the party body on the poll outcomes.” “While the state polls will be discussed, the main focus is likely to be on the 2024 Lok Sabha poll preparation, alliances and the action plan for the big fight ahead,” Mir told this channel.
As per party insiders, the reasons for the state losses would help the top party body firm up a strategy for the 2024 national elections in which the Congress not only needs to set up its organization in order, but also ensure proper coordination with like-minded parties. The Congress chief is also likely to brief the CWC members on the sticking points related to seat-sharing in states like West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab and Delhi where discussions with the regional parties like the TMC, Left parties, SP and AAP are to be held over the coming days.
“We also need to prepare an action plan for the 2024 campaign at our level though it will have to be done jointly with the allies as well. The broad focus areas like jobs, unemployment, the undermining of constitutional institutions, misuse of central agencies, caste census and crony capitalism will be central to any Congress campaign and also to the opposition campaign,” said a senior AICC functionary.
The CWC meeting is also likely to discuss the arrangements for the Congress Foundation Day rally to be held in Nagpur on December 28 when the grand old party wants to convey a loud message to its rival BJP. “The message of the Nagpur rally will be that we are ready, meaning the Congress is ready for the big fight in 2024 despite the odds. The key message will be delivered by our former chief Sonia Gandhi,” the AICC functionary said.
As far as the state poll losses are concerned, party insiders said the party chief has been told that anti-incumbency sitting MLAs in Rajasthan, over-confidence of election managers in Chhattisgarh and lack of coordination in the Madhya Pradesh team were the key reasons behind the setback. The role of EVMs, especially in MP, is also suspicious and has found support even from INDIA alliance partners, said Congress insiders. “The issue is how to get back to the ballot paper again as the EVMs are liable to be tampered with,” said the AICC functionary.
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