Party has been good to all, time to repay debt: Sonia Gandhi at Congress Working Committee meet

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, May 9

Hit by a series of defections across states, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday assured cadres of a restructured and battle ready Congress after the upcoming mid-May introspection meeting at Rajasthan’s Udaipur and said it was “time to repay the debt in full measures as the party had been good to everyone”.

Addressing the Congress Working Committee to discuss the Chintan Shivir agenda, Sonia talked tough on indiscipline and said while self criticism was important, it should not be done in ways that spawn gloom.

She sought unity saying, “I seek your full cooperation in ensuring that the single overriding message of unity, cohesion, determination and commitment to our party’s accelerated revival goes forth loud and clear from Udaipur.”

Sonia’s signal was to leaders speaking out of turn, with the AICC disciplinary committee of late acting against erring leaders, including former union food minister KV Thomas and ex-Punjab Congress President Sunil Jakhar.

Seeking to uplift the party morale after recent election losses, Sonia said the Chintan Shivir should not become a ritual that has to be gone through.

“I am determined that it should herald a restructured organisation to meet the many ideological, electoral and managerial challenges we confront,” she told the CWC meeting that lasted for nearly tow hours.

On the sense of demoralisation in Congress, Gandhi said there were no magic wands and asked everyone to “repay Congress debt in full measure”.

“It is only selfless work, discipline and a sense of consistent collective purpose that will enable us to demonstrate our tenacity and resilience. The party has been good to each and every one of us. Now is the time to repay that debt in full measure. Self-criticism is of course needed in our party forums but this should not be done in a manner that self-confidence and morale is eroded and an atmosphere of gloom and doom becomes all-pervasive,” was her message.

The Chintan Shivir will see the participation of 400 delegates in six groups that will debate political, economic, social justice, farmers, youth and organisational issues.

“Delegates have been informed about which group in which they are expected to participate. On the afternoon of May 15 we will be adopting the Udaipur Nav Sankalp after it has been approved by the CWC there,” Gandhi said.

She had earlier formed coordination panels to set out the broad agenda for each of the six groups. The panels have met over recent days.

The panel chiefs briefed the CWC meeting on broad subjects identified for discussion within each group. The CWC also took up the amendment of Congress constitution to enable digital memberships.