Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday constituted a political affairs group and a task force for the 2024 parliamentary elections but those expecting a “new approach” from the leadership after the Udaipur Chintan Shivir expressed disappointment at the continued “window-dressing”.
On her part, Sonia sent out a strong message of reconciliation by including the architects of the cabal of dissenters who have come to be identified as the G-23, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma, in the political affairs group that will advise her on contemporary issues.
Another G-23 member, Mukul Wasnik, was included in Task Force-2024, indicating that the party was determined to close the chapter of groupism and restore a unity of purpose for the critical battles ahead. There is also a possibility of at least one of the two dissenters — Azad and Sharma — being sent to the Rajya Sabha again.
The political affairs group chaired by Sonia herself will include Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Azad, Ambika Soni, Digvijaya Singh, Sharma, K.C. Venugopal and Jitendra Singh.
The task force includes P. Chidambaram, Wasnik, Jairam Ramesh, K.C. Venugopal, Ajay Maken, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Randeep Singh Surjewala and Sunil Kanugolu.
Each member of the task force shall be assigned specific duties related to organisation, communications and media, outreach, finance and election management. All of them will have separate designated teams that will be notified shortly. The task force will also monitor the implementation of the Udaipur Nav Sankalp Declaration and the reports of the six groups.
A central planning and coordination group has been formed for the Bharat Jodo Yatra, or unity march. This group will have as members Digvijaya, Sachin Pilot, Shashi Tharoor, Ravneet Singh Bittu, K.J. George, Jothi Mani, Pradyut Bordoloi, Jitu Patwari and Saleem Ahmed. All the members of the task force and the heads of frontal organisations will be the ex-officio members of this group.
The dominant view among Congress leaders and workers was that the system had not changed despite “pretensions” of a new resolve at the Udaipur Chintan Shivir.
One leader said in anger: “This is continued window-dressing. This means nothing. This is a signal that the old system will continue and the spirit of Udaipur has already been buried.”
Another leader said: “Almost all the members of the two key committees have been an integral part of the high command structure for decades. Nothing will change.”
The only new entrant is Kanugolu, who will be given charge of the election management department. Kanugolu worked with poll consultant Prashant Kishor before charting his own course and has already been working for the Congress in Telangana.
Former general secretary Digvijaya, who had fallen out of favour, also returns to the inner circle. Apart from being included in the task force, he also heads the group that has to plan agitations over the next two years.
Many leaders disapproved of the choices made by the Congress president because they felt the principle of accountability had not been addressed.
“What we have seen for years will continue even now. Jairam Ramesh will make the drafts and everyone else will have to endorse them. The same Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala will call the shots. The desire for control is far stronger than the desire to reform. The public will see the same face of the Congress which they have rejected in two successive general elections,” one younger leader told this newspaper, contending that the “Nav Sankalp” (new resolution) was just hollow rhetoric.
But many office-bearers countered this claim, pointing out that drastic changes at the very top are always difficult because experience and trust become critical factors. These committees had to be constituted from among the existing Congress Working Committee and expecting a new face is unreasonable, they said.
The Nav Sankalp plan is going to be seriously implemented and reservation for youth at booth, block, district and state levels will be reflected within months, the office-bearers said.
