Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi, during the inaugural meeting of the reconstituted Congress Working Committee (CWC) panel, sent a resounding message of unity to the 28-member opposition alliance known as the ‘INDIA Bloc.’ In a bid to counter the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Gandhi urged CWC members to unite, stating, “We have to fight unitedly against the BJP.”
The Congress party also pledged to transform the INDIA Bloc into both an ideological and electoral success. Their goal is to liberate the nation from divisive politics and provide a government that is responsive and accountable to the people, as reported by PTI.
During the meeting, the CWC panel warmly embraced the ongoing consolidation of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) and claimed that this consolidation had already unsettled Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP.
One of the central concerns voiced by the CWC panel was the escalating unemployment rates and the continuous surge in prices, particularly regarding essential commodities. In a resolution, the CWC panel declared, “The prime minister’s so-called Rozgar melas are a hoax to cover up the abject failure to create, as promised, two crore jobs a year.”
Moreover, the CWC criticized the Modi government for its failure to conduct the decennial census, which was due in 2021, calling it a “national and international shame.” They highlighted that this lapse has led to around 14 crore of the poorest Indians being deprived of their entitlement to food rations, as ration cards are issued based on the 2011 Census data. The resolution also underscored the government’s reluctance to conduct a caste census.
The CWC raised alarms about the escalating tensions in Manipur, suggesting that these tensions could potentially spread to the broader North-Eastern region, according to PTI reports.
Furthermore, the Congress party accused the Prime Minister of remaining silent and indifferent, the Home Minister of failing in his responsibilities, and the Chief Minister of intransigence, which has resulted in repeated clashes between security forces and civilians, as well as between the Army/Assam Rifles and the state police force.
The highest decision-making body of the Congress unequivocally condemned China’s incursions into Indian-held territory and their provocations, such as publishing maps that include Arunachal Pradesh and other parts of India.
In addition to these national concerns, top Congress leaders gathered for the CWC meeting with a primary focus on devising a comprehensive roadmap to secure victory for the party in the upcoming assembly elections in five states and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Notable attendees at the meeting included Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, and general secretaries K C Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh, among others.
