Congress announces major organisational reforms as Nav Sankalp Shivir concludes

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Sunday adopted the Udaipur Nav Sankalp Declaration, and announced a number of organisational reforms after its three-day Chintan Shivir held in Rajasthan's Udaipur.

It included ensuring a wider representation to people below 50 years of age, one person-one post, and one family-one ticket, with the rider that other family members would have to work for at least five years in the party to get any organisational position or contest elections. It also decided that no person should hold one party position for more than five years to give opportunity to new people.

In her concluding address, Congress president Sonia Gandhi announced that a task force will be set up to initiate the organisational reforms.

She said the Congress will launch a 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' from Kanyakumari to Kashmir beginning on Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti October 2.

The composition of the task force will be notified in the next two-three days, she said.

"I feel it has been a very useful and productive 'shivir'. So many of you have had an opportunity to express your views and offer your suggestions in a spirit of constructive participation. I have received a summary of discussions in each of the six groups. They will inform our party positions, policies and programmes, Gandhi said.

They will also be of value to prepare manifestos for state and national elections, she added. She, however, said the new group is not a collective decision-making body but will help her get the benefit of the vast experience of senior colleagues.

"I want to make a special mention of the report of the organisational group since it is the most immediately relevant. Some of its ideas have formed part of the 'Udaipur Nav Sankalp Declaration' that has just been adopted. I assure you that the detailed recommendations of the group will be acted upon expeditiously," she asserted.

"We will undoubtedly leave re-energised with a refreshed spirit of collective purpose, she said.

The party will also launch the second phase of its 'Jan Jagran Yatra' at the district level from June 15, she announced. This extensive campaign will highlight economic issues, especially growing unemployment and intolerable price rise that are destroying livelihoods, she said.

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As a new measure, the Congress announced that it would be setting up three new departments in the next three to six months —public insight, election management, and national training.

The party was for setting up of the Public Insight Department so that the party leadership could get "rational feedback" for knowing the views of the public on different subjects, which would help them while making policy decisions.

The declaration elaborated that there would be a 'National Training Institute' established so that that the party's leaders and workers can get comprehensive training on the policies, ideology and policies of the government. This national training institute is likely to be started be started from 'Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Development Studies' in Kerala.

“Election Management Department” should be constituted at the level of All India Congress Committee, so that the party prepares for the election effectively and expected results are obtained.

The declaration stated that no person should hold a post for more than five years so that newcomers could get a chance. The declaration stated that 50% of the office bearers of Congress must be those who are below 50 years of age. Asserting that committees should reflect India’s realities, the Declaration stated that Dalits, tribals, backward classes, minorities and women should get equitable representation.

* The suggestion from the political panel at the Chintan Shivir helmed by Mallikarjun Kharge that were adopted in the CWC Declaration were that "Indian nationalism" is the core character of the Congress and, in contrast, the BJP's pseudo-nationalism is centered on the quest for power. It is the duty of every Congressman to bring this difference to the masses.

* The Declaration stated that there was a need to take cognisance of the deteriorating financial relations between the central and provincial governments. It underlined that it was time for a re-examination of the financial relations between the Centre and the states and the protection of the financial rights of the states.

These were suggestions from the panel on economy headed by P. Chidambaram.

* From the Bhupinder Hooda panel on agriculture, the Declaration adopted that there was a need to rethink the issue of the farmers being trapped in debts around the country. The need of the hour is to set up a "National Farmer Debt Relief Commission" and decide the path from loan waiver to debt relief. The declaration stated that it was necessary that under MNREGA, the annual average income should be increased to ₹ 18,000 by bringing MGNREGA wages at par with the minimum wage.

* From the social justice and empowerment committee headed by Salman Khurshid, the resolution included that a Social Justice Advisory Council should be formed in the Congress to strongly raise the voice of SC-ST, OBC and minority communities, to focus on their problems and to raise their issues to their leadership.

*Congress is determined to create a "Special Health Mission" for the tribals and protect the pattas of the tribals. A meeting of Congress Working Committee, State and District Congress Committees in every six months should be focused on SC, ST, OBC, minority and women issues.

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The Congress announced enforcing the one family, one ticket' rule with exception to be made only when another family member has been working in the party for at least five years.

The party also decided that no person should hold one party position for more than five years to give opportunity to new people. It has also decided to provide 50 per cent representation to those below 50 years of age at all levels of organisation.

These reforms with a focus on the 2024 Lok Sabha polls will cover all aspects of the organisation, including structure, rules for appointments to party posts, communications and publicity, outreach, finances and election management.

The Congress held the three-day conclave in Udaipur in the backdrop of a string of electoral defeats and dissent in the party for the past many years.

(With inputs from PTI)