Kharge calls for ‘top to bottom’ accountability
NEW DELHI: New Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday emphasised on “accountability from top to bottom”— a key demand of the G23 rebels— and sent a clear message to leaders that they must perform or perish, as the party gears up for the next general election in 2024, a statement released by the Congress said.
The party also praised Rahul Gandhi’s “tapasya” in the Bharat Jodo Yatra and discussed how to benefit from the momentum the foot march has generated.
In his first meeting of the steering committee as party chief, Kharge set tasks for the senior leadership, demanded more young people at the ground level.
“While there are very responsible people in the party who are doing their duty, some comrades have assumed that the lack of responsibility will be ignored. This is neither right nor acceptable. Those who are unable to fulfil the responsibility, they will have to give a chance to new colleagues,” the statement quoted Kharge as saying.
The Congress announced that the plenary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) will be held in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur in second half of February 2023.
Kharge, who took charge as the new party chief on October 26, insisted on a number of tasks for senior functionaries and said the general secretaries and in-charges of the party should “first ensure their own responsibility and the responsibility of the organisation”. The steering committee has replaced the regular Congress working committee meeting till the AICC plenary.
“You should think with your discretion whether the general secretaries and officials in charge of the provinces visit the provinces under their responsibility for at least 10 days in a month? Have you visited every district, blocks and met local party leaders and understood the local problems?”
He also asked if the state organisations are fighting for the people according to the ground reality, and how many new people have been accommodated at the ground level.
“How many units are there where the district and block have not been changed for five years? How many times agitations have taken place on the orders of AICC on local problems, regional problems and challenges facing the country at block, district and state level? Are the advance organisations, party departments and their units raising the voice of those sections for which they have been formed?”
Kharge’s opening remarks signalled upcoming changes, as envisaged in the party’s Udaipur declaration, particularly on ensuring more accountability and promoting new leaders.
The resolution hailed the Bharat Jodo Yatra and praised “the leadership of former President Shri Rahul Gandhi, whose tapasya, unfailing determination, and love for India and her people have been critical to the success of the Yatra”. In the meeting, nearly 50% of the leaders spoke about how to take the benefits of the Bharat Jodo Yatra and the state-level yatras forward. Some leaders proposed an east-to-west yatra.
Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi rejected a proposal of HK Patil for a museum of Bharat Jodo Yatra and told the steering committee virtually that such museums might only gather dust. “It would be better to have a digital collection of the Bharat Jodo Yatra,” she said.
Later in the day, general secretaries KC Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh told reporters that the party would organise a two-month “massive ‘Hath Se Hath Jodo Abhiyan’ from January 26”, as a follow-up to the Bharat Jodo Yatra.