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Focus on workers at Congress plenary session

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Press Trust of India New Delhi

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will present the party's vision and the way forward at its plenary session starting tomorrow, where the focus will be on workers instead of leaders this time.

The plenary session, starting with a meeting of the Steering Committee, will set the tone for the party's poll strategy in the Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections where it seeks to oust the BJP from power.

Sources said the party will adopt four resolutions -- one each on the political situation, the economic front and on the foreign affairs besides a separate one on agriculture, unemployment and poverty alleviation. The party will highlight its vision on each sphere and compare it with the current situation.

 

After tomorrow's meeting of the Steering Committee, where a final shape will be given to all resolutions, the plenary session will start on the morning of March 17 with an inaugural address by party chief Rahul Gandhi.

At the two-day brainstorming session, two resolutions, including the one on political situation, will be taken up and adopted on the first day, while two others, including the one on jobs, will be taken up on the concluding day.

The session will end with an address of the Congress president, where he would set the tone for party's plan forward for the upcoming elections.

The political resolution, the sources say, will also indicate the party's plans for forging coalitions with like-minded parties.

The Congress is seeking to build a larger front of opposition parties to stop the BJP from coming back to power and former president Sonia Gandhi has called upon them to set aside their differences to come together for a larger national cause.

"This plenary session will be very different from other sessions this time as the Congress president is seeking to accord preference to workers than leaders," said a leader, adding that the focus would be shifted from the Congress chief to workers who will be allowed to speak up on the party's future strategy.

Since the Steering Committee will cease to exist after the plenary session, the new Working Committee (CWC) of the party will also be put in place soon.

There was no confirmation on whether the CWC would be formed during the session or after, but sources said it won't be an elected body and the party chief will select his own team.

Gandhi, who took over the reins of the party last December, will present the Congress vision document and the political road map for the party and the document will act as a "guiding light" to help party workers upstage the BJP from power at the Centre in 2019, besides in some states.

The session will also look into future alliances that the party foresees will be needed for defeating the BJP, a Congress leader said.

The plenary meet, to be held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here, will be attended by senior leaders and workers starting from block presidents.

The party's key focus would be on the issue of agriculture and unemployment, the source said, adding that the party wants to highlight the agrarian crisis in the country and joblessness among the people to help garner public support

The session assumes importance as it will be the first after Gandhi's presidentship and the first to be held with a new leader in two decades.

The sources said the party will also distribute literature and five books each on jobs and youth, SCs and ST's, the economy, national security and corruption.

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First Published: Mar 15 2018 | 7:25 PM IST

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