END OF CHINTAN, BUT NOT CHINTA

The exit of young leaders in recent years has been attributed to the old guard failing to address the aspirations of the 'gen-next' leaders.

The Congress party on Sunday presented its reform template with the Lok Sabha 2024 elections in mind.

First things first. To deal with the rickety party apparatus and keeping in view the demands of the G23 ‘dissidents’, the party has set a timeline to fill all vacancies within a maximum of 120 days.

Two, half of its posts will be given to those below 50 years of age and retirement age will be fixed for those in Parliament, state legislatures and other elected posts.

These decisions are part of the Congress 'Nav Sankalp' declaration that was adopted at the end of the three-day 'Chintan Shivir here, indicating that the party has chosen to throw its weight behind the young leadership after a prolonged old-versus-new tussle.

The exit of several young leaders from the Congress in recent years had been attributed to the party's old guard failing to address the aspirations of the so-called 'gennext' leaders.

The party also announced that it will enforce the 'one family, one ticket' rule but with a rider; an exception will be made only when another family member has been working in the party for at least five years. The party also decided that no person should hold one party position for more than five years.

Party chief Sonia Gandhi said a task force would be set up in the next 2-3 days to implement the inner party reforms and an advisory committee of CWC members headed by her will be formed to deliberate on political issues, making it clear that it will not be a collective decision-making body.

Adopting the declaration, the party said exactly 80 years ago, in the year 1942, Mahatma Gandhi gave the slogan of "Quit India;" and, in 2022, the slogan of "Jodo India" (Unite India) should be adopted.

The Congress will accordingly launch a 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' from Kanyakumari to Kashmir beginning on Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti. The party will also launch the second phase of its 'Jan Jagran Yatra' at the district level from June 15.

The Congress also decided to bring a constitutional amendment to provide 33 percent reservation for women in Parliament, legislative assemblies and legislative councils and get it passed at the earliest to ensure the empowerment of women.

The party also resolved to raise the demands of SCs/STs/minorities and OBCs across the country. As a first step, it would press for an SC-ST subplan with legal recognition in the budgets of the central and provincial governments.