Lack of clarity, cohesion in party: Sonia Gandhi

Sonia Gandhi emphasised the need for discipline and unity within the party, adding that “the strengthening of the organisation must override personal ambitions”.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday said there is “a lack of clarity and cohesion” among the party’s state-level leaders on policy issues , underlining the need for redoubling efforts to fight for the deprived sections of population.

Sonia Gandhi referred to elections in five states next year and added that Congress workers and leaders were gearing up to take up these battles. (PTI)

“To make this promise (of fighting for deprived sections) truly meaningful, we must also make our organisation more representative of this cross-section of society,” Sonia Gandhi said during an address to Congress general secretaries, secretaries, in-charges and state chiefs.

She emphasised the need for discipline and unity within the party, adding that “the strengthening of the organisation must override personal ambitions”.

Her comments come in the wake of a spate of defections from the party to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and also to the Trinamool Congress, and amidst internal criticism, especially by a group of senior Congress leaders, the so-called G23, that seeks changes in how the party functions, and a more democratic process of picking leaders for organisational posts.

Gandhi referred to elections in five states next year and added that Congress workers and leaders were gearing up to take up these battles. “Our campaign must be founded upon concrete policies and programmes emanating from widespread discussions with all sections of society.”

She said the party has to fight the “diabolical” campaign of the ruling BJP and its ideological fount, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) “ideologically” with “conviction and expose their lies” if it wants to win these battles. “We must do so with the people,” she added

Gandhi also spoke of the need for an outreach within the party ahead of organisational elections. “The AICC (All-India Congress Committee) releases important and detailed statements almost every day on issues facing the nation... They do not percolate down to our grassroots cadres at the block and district levels. There are policy issues on which I find a lack of clarity and cohesion even among our state-level leaders.”

Internal polls to elect the party’s next president are scheduled to be held between August 21 and September 30 next year.