The Congress president will now have an advisory group consisting of senior leaders to assist in day-to-day affairs, apart from several new institutional arrangements aimed at strengthening the party’s response and management abilities.

The setting up of the new advisory group, whose members will be announced in a couple of days, suggest that the post of political adviser occupied by late Ahmed Patel for a long time may not be revived now. The demand for revival of Parliamentary Board has also been not accepted on Sunday but Sonia Gandhi said the suggestions by the committee on organisation will be implemented by the task force she will set up soon.

Sonia said in her concluding remarks at the Chintan Shivir: “I have also decided to have an advisory group drawn from the CWC (Congress Working Committee) that would meet regularly under my chairpersonship to discuss and deliberate upon political issues and challenges before our party. Of course, we do have the CWC that meets from time to time and that will continue. The new group is not, however, a collective decision-making body but will help me get the benefit of the vast experience of senior colleagues.”

She further said: “A compact task force will be set up to drive the process of internal reforms that are essential and that has been discussed in different groups here at Udaipur. These reforms with focus on the 2024 Lok Sabha polls will cover all aspects of the organisation including structure, rules for appointments to party posts, communications and publicity, outreach, finances and election management. The composition of the task force will be notified in the next two-three days.”

Appealing to the party leaders to operate in the spirit of a family, she asserted that the party will overcome the current crisis, betraying lingering concern about disunity even as many senior leaders insisted a new phase of camaraderie could be expected after the Chintan Shivir. Some leaders argued that the unity of purpose will depend on the sense of accommodation demonstrated by the leadership in formation of the advisory group and the task force.

Though Rahul Gandhi said at the Chintan Shivir that he wanted “a healthy mix of youth and experience,” the decision to reserve 50 per cent posts at all levels including the working committee for those under 50 has not gone down well with senior leaders. Many who attended the Chintan Shivir, and some who didn’t, find the stress on age outrageous, arguing that talented youth should be encouraged but fixing a quota could be counter-productive.

The party has promised to fill all the vacant organisational posts within the next three to six months, in addition to introducing Mandal committees between booth and block levels. Three more new departments have been approved — public insight department, national training institute and an election management department.

The irony is that the training institute was first proposed by Sonia Gandhi in 2003 at the Shimla Chintan Shivir but senior leaders ensured nothing is done for two decades.

The assessment wing that was proposed didn’t get clearance. But the demand for reserving 50 per cent for youth, below 50 years, at all levels was accepted.Office-bearers will now have a term of maximum five years, ending the practice of senior leaders occupying key posts for decades. The proposal for only one ticket for a family was also accepted with a rider, that those who have worked for five years in the party can seek a ticket.

Other changes include inclusion of the chairperson of North East Coordination Committee into the CWC, political affairs committee in every Pradesh Congress Committee and merger of media, social media, data and research departments to improve communication. The party also gave some indications on its promise of resetting the economic policy, asserting that they support welfare state with strong public sector units, focus on job creation, eradication of inequality and strengthening federal rights of the states.

The party demanded a financial support of Rs 6,000 every month for farmers and agriculture workers, legal guarantee for MSP, National Farmers Debt Relief Commission and minimum Rs 18,000 as MGNREGA wages every year. The committee on youth has decided to launch a separate “Rozgar do padyatra” from August 15 and demanded a special drive to fill vacancies in the government and armed forces.

The demand for 50 per cent reservation to SC-ST-OBC-minorities in the organisation was not accepted though the CWC in principle endorsed greater representation of these groups.