Congress to hold Chintan Shivir to discuss way ahead: Leaders after key meet

Former Maharashtra chief minister and one of the 23 dissenters Prithviraj Chavan told reporters that a chintan shivir (brainstorming session) on the pattern of Pachmarhi and Shimla would soon be held.

A crucial meeting between Congress president Sonia Gandhi and dissenters along with senior leaders on Saturday decided to hold a ‘Chintan Shivir’ (brainstorming session) to discuss the way forward and steps needed to strengthen the party.

Sonia Gandhi told Congress leaders that all of them are a “very big family” and they should strive to strengthen the party. (SONU MEHTA/HT PHOTO.)

Addressing the media after a marathon four-hour-long meeting, senior Congress leader Pawan Kumar Bansal said the discussions centered mainly on strengthening the party.

He said the process for holding organisational polls, including to the party president’s post and the Congress Working Committee (CWC) has already been set in motion and the central election authority (CEA) is working on it.

“There is already an election process in motion. There is an agenda before the party. The CEA is working on it,” he said.

Bansal said Sonia Gandhi told the leaders that all of them are a “very big family” and they should strive to strengthen the party.

He said Rahul Gandhi also spoke on similar lines.

Bansal also said no one in the party, including the dissenters, has any problem with Rahul Gandhi’s leadership.

Former Maharashtra chief minister and one of the 23 dissenters Prithviraj Chavan told reporters that a chintan shivir (brainstorming session) on the pattern of Pachmarhi and Shimla would soon be held.

He said the meeting was constructive and more such interactions would be held in future.