As the three-day mega brainstorming session of the Congress concluded Sunday, the party adopted the ‘Nav Sankalp Declaration’ which announced the long-awaited organisational changes in the grand-old party and plans for nationwide mass agitations in an attempt to ‘reconnect’ with the masses.
The Congress’ ‘Chintan Shivir’, held in Rajasthan’s Udaipur, concluded with speeches by Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul Gandhi.
In his speech, Rahul admitted that Congress had lost its “connect” with the people of India and stressed the need to look externally and not internally.
“There is a complaint with our party that all our discussions are focused internally. Who is getting what post? All our focus is internal and in today’s day and time, that will not work,” the Congress leader said.
To establish a connection with the public, the party announced two mass agitations that will begin over the next few months. It also fashioned a new slogan for these yatras – Bharat Jodo – drawing inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi’s famous ‘Bharat Chodo’ slogan.
ThePrint reported Sunday that the party, in its run up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, was looking to “do what Gandhi would do”.
Politically, however, an ambiguity persisted over the Congress’ stance vis-à-vis non-BJP regional parties and alliances. Although Gandhi in his speech said that regional parties have “no ideology”, the declaration said that Congress is open to alliances with “like-minded” parties.