No shortcuts, must go back to the people: Rahul, Sonia announce mass contact from October 2

Aditi Tandon

Udaipur, May 15

 Bharat Jodo calls emanated from the venue of Udaipur Nav Sankalp Shivir that concluded here on Sunday with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asking cadres to go to the people and re-establish the “lost connect with them” and party president Sonia Gandhi announcing a mass contact programme from October 2 minutes after Rahul’s call for hard work.

There are no shortcuts to success, success will come from the sweat of the brow, Rahul told leaders as the 422 strong delegation adopted the Udaipur Declaration that moots sweeping internal reforms to strengthen the Congress organizationally and electorally.

Through six separate resolutions covering organizational, political, economic, agricultural, social justice and youth affairs, the Congress today approved “one person-one post”, “one family-one ticket” rule with exceptions for leaders who discharge party roles for five years before seeking a party ticket; 50 pc posts across AICC for those under 50; and three new departments of public insight, election management and cadre training to make the party battle ready.

The critical political resolution left a door open for alliances “based on political circumstances of the time” and pledged a constant connect with like-minded forces even as Rahul in his closing remarks signalled the pre-eminence of Congress in the opposition space with Aam Aadmi Party and other regional forces gaining sway across states.

“Ours is an ideological battle to defeat the RSS and BJP ideology and organization. This is no easy battle and a regional party cannot fight this because this is an ideological battle. The RSS is fighting the Congress ideology. The BJP is attacking the Congress and not regional parties because the BJP knows that the regional parties have their place but they cannot defeat it as they have no ideological basis. The regional parties have varied approaches as against a centralized Congress approach.”

To further stress the point, Rahul said Congress was the sole “pan-India party unlike regional outfits that are caste based.”

On the ideological front, the Congress political resolution steered clear of “soft Hindutva” despite calls to project the same from some veterans, including Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel. The party instead attacked the ruling BJP for spawning “hate and violence” and said, “Indian nationalism is the basis of the Congress while the ruling party’s pseudo nationalism is a means to grab power.”

As suggested by most leaders, the Congress professed commitment to the Gandhian-Nehruvian principles of pluralism ending the Shivir with “Bharat jodo” calls, placing the pledge in context of the 1942 “Bharat Choodo (quit India)” movement.

While Sonia Gandhi promised to form a task force in three days to take the recommendations of the Declaration forward, she left it to son Rahul to articulate the broad party position on issues.

In veiled references to G-23 leaders, Rahul said sometimes senior leaders get into depression which is natural but the only way to revive the party was by reconnecting to the people and hitting the streets. “I am forewarning today. The more the BJP dismantles institutions, the more they destroy conversations between people, the more fires will rage. It is the responsibility of the Congress to prevent and douse these flames. No regional party can do this.”

The former Congress chief said the entire discussion in the party so far was inwardly focused. “Our focus has to be external. We will have to go to the people not just for ourselves but for the country. We have lost connect with the people. Let us admit. We have to re-establish this connection. Mass contact is the only road forward for the party.”

There are no shortcuts for success. To anyone who thinks short cuts can help, let me say, this work can only be accomplished by the sweat of our brow. You can do it, this is our DNA. We were born out of a people’s movement. We have to return to the people,” said Rahul.

He also declared that he had “not taken a single paisa from Bharat Mata and was not corrupt”, nor did he “fear speaking the truth.”

Assuring he would stand lifelong with Congress leaders to fight the ideological battle against BJP-RSS, Rahul told the Congress delegation not to lose heart. 

While he said “We will win”, Sonia in her wrap up statement gave a clarion call to party workers to disperse from Udaipur in a filial spirit and declared, “We will overcome.”

She announced a Kashmir to Kanyakumari yatra from Gandhi Jayanti this year and the second phase of the party’s jan jagran programme from June 15.

On the political front, the Congress declined the G-23 demand of reviving the parliamentary board with Sonia today saying, “I will have an advisory group to get the benefit of experience of senior leaders and I hope the CWC will meet more regularly.”

She struck a personal chord with the delegates when she said, “Last night when I returned from the dinner here, I felt I had spent the evening with my family. Some youngsters I met said the same. I hope we all leave here with this very spirit of one family.”

Earlier Rahul also addressed the delegates as his “family.”

The conclave precedes the ongoing process of election of the next Congress President, with Sonia serving in the interim since May 2019.

Many delegates felt the Shivir was set to cement Rahul’s elevation, with Sonia Gandhi having allowed frank discussions and Gandhi family freely mixing with all delegates.

As for the resolutions, these focus on the party’s economic, ideological and organizational stands, and remain silent on the leadership issue which, the Congress had earlier clarified, was not on the table. The next Congress chief is expected to be in place by August end.