AICC meet to discuss Rajiv Gandhi's vision

The two-day All-India Congress Committee (AICC) session beginning on August 20 and coinciding with Rajiv Gandhi's birth anniversary will have an entire discussion devoted to the former Prime Minister's vision for the country.

The session, to be held in Delhi's Talkatora Stadium, is the first after the party's return to power at the Centre.

A joint resolution on economic, political and international affairs will also be moved by Pranab Mukherjee and Arjun Singh.

"This will be an omnibus resolution, covering areas of concern for the Congress, discussion on the resolution will be held simultaneously," said a senior Congress leader.

Earlier, only Arjun Singh had been earmarked to introduce the resolution, but Mukherjee's name was also added later.

According to sources, a resolution thanking Congress chief Sonia Gandhi for her leadership during and after the 2004 general elections will also be moved at the session. "The Congress president's sacrifice of the high post of the Prime Minister will figure in the resolution," the senior Congress leader said.

There was debate within the party whether this was to be part of the session or not. "Gandhi's sacrifice of the post of Prime Minister will be one of our main campaign planks in the upcoming Assembly polls, which is why the resolution will be introduced," said a senior party office-bearer.

Attached to this resolution will be another resolution thanking the people for voting in the Congress after a gap of 10 years. "This session is expected to be a special one as we are now the party in power," he said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will address the delegates, elaborating on the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's policies and the n common minimum programme.

The Prime Minister's speech is expected to be 35-40 minutes long. The concluding remarks will be made by the Congress president, which is expected to chalk out the party's strategy in the coming Assembly polls in five states ""Maharashtra, Bihar, Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh and Haryana.