Cong. to hold Pachmarhi II soon

By Javed. M. Ansari.

NEW DELHI, MAY 3. The Congress is planning yet another brainstorming session on the lines of the Pachmarhi conclave, to hone its political strategy. It is tentatively scheduled to be held after the monsoon session of Parliament. The conclave assumes significance as it will take place after the results of the five State Assembly polls are announced.

The decision to hold the conclave is a follow-up to Ms. Gandhi's promise made during her presidential speech at the AICC plenary session in Bangalore on March 17. She had said ``I intend to call a Pachmarhi II, sometime in the next six months so that all of us, particularly the next generation of Congress leaders, can have a meaningful debate and discussion.''

Ms. Gandhi appears keen on ensuring that the party's decisions and commitments made in Bangalore are implemented at the earliest. She has set up a seven-member committee, headed by Mr. Ahmad Patel, to prepare an action plan for the implementation of the resolutions adopted at the session.

Like the idea of a Pachmarhi II type conclave, the setting up of an implementation committee and the committee headed by Dr. Manmohan Singh to frame guidelines for the party to introduce greater transparency in matters of funding is a fallout of the promises made in her Bangalore speech. She had said a committee would be set up ``to ensure that the ideas thrown up and the issues highlighted at the Bangalore session are expeditiously implemented by the AICC and the PCCs.''

Apart from Mr. Patel, the other members of the committee are the former Orissa Chief Minister, Mr. Hemanand Biswal, the former MP, Mr. Kishore Chandra Deo, the Rajya Sabha MP, Mr. Eduardo Falerio, Mr. Sushil Kumar Shinde, member, Central Election Committee and Ms. Nirmala Savant Prabhavalkar, acting PCC chief of Goa.

Among the ideas thrown up at the Bangalore session that have a direct bearing on the party organization is the need to abolish the distinction between primary and active members. The party had also come out strongly in favour of adequate representation to women, minorities, the SCs and the STs and other weaker sections in the decision-making process. The committee headed by Mr. Patel is expected to suggest guidelines and a implementation schedule for the party.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : National
Previous : Younis critical
Next     : Ranjan, Bhante unattached RS members