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Congress to go all out on alliance, promises to amend anti-defection law
The Congress has proposed to amend the Constitution to eliminate toppling of elected governments through purchasing legislators
The Congress is set to pass a political resolution at the party’s 85th plenary session in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur on Saturday with a vision document for 2024 Lok Sabha election and a mission statement to “go all out to identify, mobilise and align like-minded secular forces” to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The party also proposed to amend the Constitution to eliminate toppling of elected governments through purchasing legislators, after it lost five state governments to defection.
The resolution also termed the Electoral Bonds as “fatally flawed and fully corrupt” and promised to set up a National Election Fund to which all may contribute. “During elections, funds will be allocated to political parties using a transparent and fair criteria laid down by law,” it said.
The party also pointed out how more than 14 recognised political parties, several activists and computer scientists raised concerns on the efficacy of EVMs. “The Congress promises to restore the faith of every voter in the integrity of the electoral process. The Congress will build the widest possible consensus with all like-minded political parties to take up the issue with ECI, and if they do not respond, then go to Court,” the resolution said.
Pushing for alliances ahead of the assembly polls and the Lok Sabha election, the Congress’ political resolution said, “Unity of secular and socialist forces will be the hallmark of the future of the Congress party. Congress should go all out to identify, mobilise and align like-minded secular forces. We should include secular regional forces who agree with our ideology. There is an urgent need for a united opposition to take on the NDA on common ideological grounds. Emergence of any third force will provide advantage to the BJP/NDA.”
It also said that wherever the Congress is the main opposition party, “we should be a responsible and responsive opposition. While campaigning, focus should be on the respective local issues” and the “well-crafted and thoroughly deliberated Udaipur Nav Sankalp will be taken up on a mission mode”.
The resolution asked the All India Congress Committee (AICC) to implement all the resolutions, especially those of the organisation in letter and spirit within an immediate time frame.
On anti-defection, the draft resolution said, “The Congress pioneered the Constitutional Amendment on anti-defection, and took several measures during the UPA-2 government to strengthen it. Since 2014, the BJP has engineered mass defections, purchased legislators and thus toppled democratically elected government after government. The Congress will amend the Constitution to eliminate such practices.”
The party said that during 75 years, the country has not witnessed “such a disastrous situation as seen during the past eight and half years—of fear, hate and intimidation.” It said the BJP and its government has sought to demolish the national ethos built upon by those who led the freedom struggle and nurtured by successive governments.
The party promised that “the independence and integrity of the judiciary will be maintained and protected at all costs and will initiate a comprehensive review of all laws, rules and regulations to repeal those that are outdated, unjust, or unreasonably restrict the freedoms of the people”.
Besides the political resolution, the Congress will also deliberate and finalise two more resolutions -- on economic and international affairs -- on Saturday.
It will finalise three other resolutions on agriculture and farmers’ welfare, youth and employment and social justice and empowerment on Sunday.
The three-day plenary session started on Friday.
