'Must reconnect': Cong padyatra from Oct 2

Aditi Tandon

Udaipur, May 15

Calls to “unite India” emanated from the venue of Congress’ Udaipur shivir, which concluded here on Sunday with Rahul Gandhi admitting that the party had lost connection with the people and must hit the road to regain their confidence.

Moments after Rahul’s clarion call for mass contact and hard work, Congress president Sonia Gandhi announced a Kanyakumari-to-Kashmir Bharat Jodo padyatra beginning on Gandhi Jayanti and a public awareness campaign on people’s issues from June 15 while declaring the three-day conclave closed with the promise of “we will overcome.”

Conclave winds up with Nav Sankalp

• Congress’ Chintan Shivir concludes with ‘Bharat Jodo’ call
• Party’s Nav Sankalp Declaration vows to adopt several reforms
• Reforms include fixing retirement age for MPs, MLAs, MLCs; political advisory group for party chief Sonia Gandhi

There are no shortcuts, the only road forward for us is to go to the people, stay among them for months and break sweat, Rahul said in closing remarks to an over 400-strong delegation that later adopted the ‘Nav Sankalp Declaration’ (consisting of six resolutions on organisational, political, economic, agricultural, social justice and youth affairs) that approved several resolutions. These include fixing retirement age for MPs, MLAs and MLCs; 50 per cent tickets for people under 50 years starting 2024 Lok Sabha elections; one person-one post; one family, one ticket rule with exceptions for leaders in party roles for five years; 50% posts across All India Congress Committee (AICC) levels for leaders under 50; three new AICC departments on public insight, election management and cadre training to make the party battle-ready, a political advisory group for Sonia Gandhi and openness to need-based alliances.

Speaking on Congress’ challenges, Rahul made two important points today – he said the party was too inwardly focused and needed to look out and Congress alone (not any regional party) could defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).