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Congress calls for meeting on October 26 to plan internal polls
In a letter to all state Congress chiefs, AICC general secretary (organization) KC Venugopal asked them to turn the membership drive for internal organisational polls into a “mass campaign process”.
The Congress party has called a meeting of all general secretaries, state in-charges and state presidents, on October 26, to strategise the membership drive for internal organisational polls at various levels next year, besides protests against the Centre over price rise.
In a letter to all state Congress chiefs, All India Congress Committee general secretary (organization) KC Venugopal also asked them to turn the membership drive for organisational polls into a “mass campaign process”.
The letter, accessed by HT, also stated that “social media/digital platforms should be widely used” and senior leaders should be actively involved in the membership drive. Each state unit has been asked to appoint one general secretary as in charge of the enrolment.
The party has formed a panel to strategise agitations and protest programmes across states.
“The Congress Working Committee (CWC), in its last meeting on October 15, had decided to launch a massive people’s protest against the price rise of essential commodities and the spiraling fuel prices. This meeting on October 26 will decide how to take this forward,” a senior leader aware of the developments said, seeking anonymity.
The emphasis of a proper strategy and synergy in highlighting key issues among the people assumes significance in view of elections in crucial states such as Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, which are due next year, besides the larger goal of 2024 general elections.
Meanwhile, the central election committee (CEC) or apex body of the party is slated to meet at party chief Sonia Gandhi’s residence on Saturday to discuss the ‘probable candidates’ for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. The meeting indicates that the party is proactively aiming at selecting candidates to give them maximum time for campaign.
The party has already identified possible candidates in at least 150 seats of the states, party leaders familiar with the matter said.
