Manifesto, Screening Committees being constituted soon

New Delhi: The Congress Working Committee today set the tone for the party for the ensuing General Elections next year. It took various important decisions and also passed a unanimous resolution condemning the suspension of 143 opposition MPs from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

The CWC meeting was held here today, which was presided over by the Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Ms Sonia Gandhi, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and 74 members, including special and permanent invitees attended the meeting.

In his opening remarks, the Congress president said, the outcome of the recent assembly elections in five states, barring Telangana, was disappointing. However, he added, “despite the results, there are some positive indicators, such as the vote share in these states, that gives us a definite hope that given due attention, we can certainly turn things around”.

Referring to the fourth meeting of the INDIA parties held on December 19, he said, it was unanimously agreed that the seat-sharing process must start immediately. He said, to facilitate this, a 5-member National Alliance Committee has been set up by the party to engage with various parties in different states, as needed.

He also said that the issue of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) manipulation was also discussed in the meeting and a resolution was passed in this regard.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, the AICC general secretary in charge organization KC Venugopal said, the CWC meeting focused on the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

He announced that the selection of candidates will be started very soon. In this context he pointed out, a National Alliance Committee has been set up which will speak to leadership in various states for finalizing the candidates.

He said, the Screening Committee will be constituted in this month only while the Manifesto Committee will be constituted within a few days. Besides, he added, the party, during the last three months had held meetings of 23 states and for the remaining four states’ meetings are being convened in coming days.

To a question about people wanting Rahul Gandhi to organize another Bharat Jodo Yatra from East to West, Mr Venugopal said, the Congress president conveyed the public sentiments to Mr Gandhi.

The AICC general secretary also announced that a massive rally was being organized in Nagpur on December 28 to mark the Foundation Day of the party.

The CWC also passed a unanimous resolution condemning in the “strongest possible terms the suspension of 143 INDIA party MPs from both Houses of Parliament”.

These MPs, it said, were simply demanding that the Home Minister make a statement on the extraordinary events of December 13, 2023 in the Lok Sabha and on the role of the BJP MP from Mysuru in facilitating the entry of the two intruders who caused the serious security breach.

“The suspension was done also to ensure that the Opposition was not present to challenge the Modi Government as it bulldozed three draconian criminal justice laws through”, it added.

The CWC expressed its “firmest resolve to be fully prepared at the earliest to fight the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections both as a party in its own right and also as a member of the INDIA group”.

It reiterated the determination of the Indian National Congress to take all steps necessary to make the INDIA group an effective bulwark and force against the BJP and its allies.

The CWC appreciated that preparations for the Lok Sabha polls have already commenced. The “Hain Taiyar Hum” rally being held in Nagpur on Foundation Day, a week from now is a very important step in this regard, the resolution noted.

In addition, the CWC also welcomed the latest initiative to strengthen the party’s finances through broad based public participation. Each CWC member will ensure that it is sustained.

On the economic front, the CWC said, “economic inequalities are widening while prices of essential commodities continue to rise and a growing jobs famine haunts the youth. There is a vast gap between what the Prime Minister claims and what the ground realities are”.

Warning against the polarization and threat it poses to democracy, the CWC resolution said, “social polarization is deepening and is being encouraged deliberately in a provocative manner for electoral gains. Democracy itself is under assault and all freedoms that our citizens are guaranteed under the Constitution are under attack”.