Cong reserves party posts
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Dec 18 — The Congress today added a new leaf to its constitution by providing reservation for women and weaker sections in party echelons with its President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi cautioning members not to remain content with recent electoral successes.

Presiding over the day-long special session of the All India Congress Committee called to ratify amendments to party’s constitution, the Congress President while dangling the prospect of forming an alternate government at the Centre in the event of the present arrangement collapsing emphasised a lot of ground needed to be covered within the organisation.

Both in her opening and concluding remarks to the delegates, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, noted that while there was new found excitement in the party, there was no room for complacency. She was clearly not willing to be carried away by the recent victories.

Sensing the buoyant mood within the party after the recent electoral successes, she cautioned: ‘’There is a new excitement in the party and our morale is high. But let us not become complacent and take things for granted. We have to consolidate as elections to several State assemblies are due next year. We must start preparations now.’’

For those pinning hopes on the Congress striking out for power in the wake of recent results, all that the Congress President had to say was: "We are not unmindful of our responsibility in the present, onerous situation. we stand ready at all times to discharge our constitutional responsibilities, and we will do so if and when circumstances demand."

In fact, the special session went according to the script with barely a protest against the series of constitutional amendments including providing of 33 per cent reservation for women and 20 per cent for SCs/STs/OBCs and minorities in different committees of the organisation.

The term of the Congress Presidents and other office-bearers now stands extended to three years instead of two, while a new Central Election Authority will be set-up to oversee organisational polls, which attracted criticism during Mr Sitaram Kesri’s time.

"The Congress President also promised to strengthen Panchayati Raj bodies and nagar palikas and announced the party proposed to hold a special session on October 2, next year to deliberate on it.

Another significant change in the constitution was raising the number of members of working committee, the highest policy making body, to 23 from present 19. Similarly the Congress Parliamentary Board will now have nine members instead of seven.

The delegates expressed overwhelming support for reserving one third of seats for women and 20 per cent of seats for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in different committees of the party.

The Congress president, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, emphasising the need for such an amendment to the party’s constitution said "the dream of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi would be fulfilled by this move."

"Our party has taken this step first and now other parties would follow suit. The introduction of the Women Reservation Bill in Parliament is a step in this direction," she said.

She also stated that the Congress had failed to take care of the interests of the SC/ST and OBCs which resulted in the weakening of the party. "At least 20 per cent of the seats should be reserved for them which will bring them back to the party fold," Mrs Gandhi said amidst applause from the AICC delegates.

Several delegates expressed their views in favour of the amendment and pointed to the thumping victories the party’s women candidates had secured in the recently concluded Assembly polls in four states.

However, dissenting suggestions were expressed by senior Congress leaders Mr Rajesh Pilot and Mr P. Upendra. The senior Congress leader from Rajasthan suggested "why do we need to have a Mahila Congress now when the party has decided to reserve 33 per cent of seats in different committees for women."

Mr Pilot’s suggestion, evoked a thunderous applause from male delegates.

Mr P. Upendra suggested that the party should reserve at least 50 per cent of seats for socially depressed sections of society apart from granting 33 per cent reservation for women.

Delhi Chief Minister Ms Sheila Dikshit pointed out that the Delhi unit was able to secure tickets for several women candidates and nine women candidates were successful in making it into the Assembly.

She stated that "had foul play not been played in Haus Khas constitutency where the former Chief Minister, Ms Sushma Swaraj, was contesting against Ms Kiran Walia, of the Congress, the party would have had the distinguished record of having all the contested women candidates in the Assembly."

The president of the Congress Mahila Wing, Ms Ambika Soni; said women workers would not pull the chairs from under their male counterparts. Rather they would work shoulder to shoulder in discharging their duty.

Many women speakers assured the party colleagues that they do not intend to threaten their party position rather than strengthen the party by being an equal partner in the Congress.