AICC panel for cadre-based Congress

The Cong is likely to go from a mass-based party to a cadre-based party to augment internal democracy, repackage its brand for a demographically younger India, reports Saroj Nagi.

The Congress is likely to go from a mass-based party to a cadre-based party to augment internal democracy, repackage its brand for a demographically younger India and meet the growing restrictions of the Election Commission regarding how elections have to be fought.

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On Tuesday, the AICC’s Group on Future Challenges and Opportunities finalized its report on intra-party reforms for submission to Congress president Sonia Gandhi. The panel, of which general secretary Rahul Gandhi is a member, has been looking into democratizing and broadbasing the party and giving it a youthful look by inducting youngsters, the proposal gathering urgency following a string of electoral defeats. The two-day national executive of the Youth Congress Rahul attended on Tuesday was part of this exercise of rejuvenating the frontal organization for the tasks ahead.

With elections becoming costly and closely contested affairs, the party can only depend on committed cadres much like the Left. “We have to build a cadre to respond to people’s wishes and keep the electorate better informed,” said panel head M Veerappa Moily.

Holding regular organisational elections, publicizing ‘Brand Congress’ through better media management are among the other issues the panel looked into. It is slated to meet again on June 7 to prepare a roadmap for the Lok Sabha polls.