Congress prepares for facelift
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Sept 2 — The Congress has come to realise it is no longer “the movement of the yore” and the crucial role the party workers play in converting the strength of personalities and charismatic individuals into victory at the hustings.

The party also suggests setting up of an election commission to ensure free and fair organisational polls, limiting the three-year term of all party chiefs from state-level and below to not more than two in succession, alterations in funding pattern, removal of dual membership and representation to women, SC/ST, backwards and minority in the party at all levels and procedure for selection of candidates.

The self-evaluation comes ahead of the much-touted brainstorming session due to be held after 25 years at the hill resort of Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh, from September 4 to 6 which is to be attended by some 230-odd delegates.

In a set of background papers, circulated for discussion on the organisational affairs, the Congress observes that the common workers need to be enthused, motivated and educated, and reassured that their contribution in building the party shall be recognised.

Officially it has been stated that the background papers are not a policy statement but designed to provoke discussion and not reiterate settled conclusions.

Though the papers claim that the views expressed in it do not necessarily reflect the official position of the party, it is well known that the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, had been emphasising on strengthening grassroot workers and recognise their contribution.

Perhaps responding to complaints of bogus membership and stage managing of elections within the party, there is a suggestion to have a three to five-member Election Commission to oversee the party polls. At present they are overseen by a General Secretary in charge who in turn appoints observers in each state.

The talking point includes need for proportional system of representation instead of the first-past-the-post system now in vogue.

At present, the Congress has two types of members, primary and active. There is a suggestion to have just one “Congress member’ who pays Rs 2 as annual membership fee, with the proposed election commission monitoring the renewal on regular basis.

An elaborate resource generation plan has been mentioned which includes structured payment of annual contribution for office-bearers at block, district, pradesh and AICC level, MLAs, members of zila parishads, municipal councils, corporations, state ministers, Central ministers and the MPs.

In the procedure for selection of candidates, the papers state that most of the time the selection takes place rather late. It suggests that the screening committee of the Congress Working Committee/Election Committee be set-up four months before the final selection so that the screening committees have enough time and opportunity to tour the districts/constituencies to get the exact position and standing of the candidates.

There is special emphasis on training and orientation at all levels specially for the NSUI, Youth Congress, Mahila Congress. Attention has also been paid to frontal organisations.

The setting up of a coordination committee both at the state and national level has been suggested to have proper coordination between the party and the CPP/CLP.

The papers state there has been a general deterioration in the organisational set-up at different levels and erosion in the traditional vote-bank.

It suggests “massive efforts”to regain the confidence of certain sections of people from whom the party has distanced itself over a period of time, an euphemism from the refrain of moving away of the minorities from the Congress.