Cong to focus on jobs, youths’ aspirations in its revival plan

NEW DELHI, Jan 11:
With youths virtually deserting it in last Lok Sabha polls, Congress is betting big on young voters in its revival plan to counter the Narendra Modi “wave” that has led to a trail of defeats for the party.
Six years after Rahul Gandhi introduced election processes in Youth Congress and NSUI, a note sent by Congress President Sonia Gandhi to all state units chiefs to work out a revival plan for the party takes into account complaints of use of money power in elections for these wings of the party.
“Democratization of Youth Congress through membership and internal elections has opened doors to a large number of youths in the party who may otherwise not have joined politics. However, the current system of elections to the Youth Congress is susceptible to subversion through the use of money and power and needs to be rectified,” the note reads.
It points out that the Youth Congress presidents should also have the discretion to build their own teams instead of constraining them to work with those who had contested against them.
“The party must develop a plan to mobilize youths including the new voters in 2019….The youth is increasingly focused on their personal aspirations such as jobs and the party’s messages must address their concerns.
“The party’s core principles need to be presented in a manner, which responds to their aspirations and contemporary issues,” reads the note, which was prepared after Rahul held a series of consultations with almost 450 leaders across the country.
While Gandhi has in a separate letter to state chiefs sought inputs from them to finalize the “agenda for action” and the way forward, the note reads that “we cannot ignore the aspirations of the sections of the urban middle class which cuts across castes and religions.”
A highlight of the last general elections noted that for the first time there was addition of some 10 crore new voters and Congress leaders say that one of the reasons for the party’s crushing defeat was that young voters almost went en bloc to Modi, who projected himself as a strong leader, who can address their aspiration and create jobs for them.
The note asks the state units chiefs to talk to party workers at the bottom rung to “define some tangible measures through, which the party can inspire confidence in youth, particularly with reference to job creation and their aspiration for a better life and asks them to suggest some programmes that youth Congress can take up in their states.
“There should be better coordination between PCC and Youth Congress. One way is to invite Youth Congress Presidents of that level to District Congress Committee and Block Congress Committee meetings.
“Youths should not be confined to Youth Congress but must be given an opportunity to contribute to the main party by increasing opportunities for participation. Efforts should be made to increase representation of youth in organizational appointment and ticket distribution,” it read.
The party toyed with the idea of organizing sports events to foster people’s association with the Congress, while emphasizing on educating the youth about the party’s history and contribution to the development of the country.
The eleven-page note also underlined the importance of building cadre for the party. Congress had said before the Lok Sabha polls that it was RSS which was fighting the election against it and not BJP.
A view in the Congress is that the party could not withstand a sustained mass reach campaign by the RSS for BJP and absence of cadre for it was a big problem as the party generally gears up just before elections.
The note reads, “the party cannot be reduced to merely an election machine. We need to concentrate on the political and ideological education of our cadre….Cadre morale needs to be raised through meetings, programmes and agitations.”
It said that the party must actively participate in all elections to the institutions of local self Government, cooperative bodies and candidate selection in these should be decentralized.
The note also called for ensuring 33 per cent reservation for women in the organization besides dwelling up on the issue of discipline.
“Discipline and adherence to the party ideology is paramount and must be strictly enforced by the leadership at all levels. The leadership must promptly take action against instances of factionalism, working against party interests and speaking against the Congress line in media.
“Disciplinary Action Committee must review and dispose all complaints of indiscipline within a fixed time frame. A summary of findings of relevant complaints may be discussed in the periodic Congress Committee meetings,” the note read and asked the grassroot on what should be the mechanism to deal with indiscipline in the party.
A controversy had erupted recently within the party when some young AICC secretaries, mostly handpicked by Rahul Gandhi, had lodged a strong protest against some senior leaders for talking to media by going against the party line.
The note reads that while the Congress has historically
been a broad national coalition—especially of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, other backward classes and minorities, the party has broad appeal, cutting across caste and religion.
It adds that accordingly the party must take up all progressive issues, “including but not limited to secularism” or welfare of the poor.
The note, however, reads “Party should also actively promote communal harmony and stand up strongly to protect the rights of the minorities.”
Earlier questions were being raised within the party on the way Congress took up the issue of secularism, “reducing it to minoritism”.
In the note, the party has sought to know how an ideal growth path can be created for party workers and whether a “welfare fund” should be created to reach out to the workers, who are in dire need of financial support.
“The Congress party must revive its mass contact organizations such as Bharat Sevak Samaj, Bharat Yuvak Samaj, Seva Dal…The party may also organize sports events to build people’s association with the party,” it said.
On social media connect it said that with the help of Youth Congress and NSUI along with social media savvy leaders in the parent organization, the party should start utilizing these tools in a more meaningful and effective manner for mass contact programmes and communication.
The party has sought suggestions from its cadres and local leaders on how it can meaningfully extract “accountability for poor distribution of tickets” especially from regional leaders as it also advocated that party leaders should be held accountable for the performance of candidates recommended by them at the time of ticket distribution.
On this front, the note reads, “Accountability must be fixed for party leaders at all levels…The roles and responsibilities of important party functionaries such as the General Secretary, PCC President, Secretary need definition and formalization. This will aid in fixing accountability.”
It also emphasizes that senior leaders must become more accessible to those lower in the party hierarchy and that to ensure coordination between the party and Government in states where it is in power, Congress leadership may choose to “mandate that key Government policies be first discussed and ratified by the party.”
It says that one way to do it could be through resolutions passed by the majority of DCCs.
“There should be a mechanism to involve lowest rung units at the time of preparing the manifesto. There should be clear guidelines in Congress-ruled states to ensure that the Government involves the party in key decisions,” it said. (PTI)

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