New Congress group for 2024 polls

New Delhi: The Congress on Monday announced that an empowered group will be constituted to address the political challenges ahead, days after deliberating on the presentation by poll strategist Prashant Kishor over the party's plan for the 2024 elections.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi also decided to convene a 'Chintan Shivir', a brainstorming session from May 13-15 in Udaipur, where party leaders from across the country would discuss internal issues confronting it and come up with solutions to help strengthen the organisation and make it fit to take on the BJP in the next round of polls, party chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told reporters.

Asked if there was any decision on Kishor's induction into the party, Surjewala did not give a direct reply, and merely said, "Whenever the group is constituted, you will know who is part of it. The decisions were taken at a meeting of senior party leaders to chalk the Congress strategy for the next general and assembly elections, including the plan presented by Kishor. The Congress has been struggling to evolve its strategy for upcoming elections in the wake of a series of defeats at the hustings."

"The Congress president received a report from the eight-member group on April 21. Today, she discussed the report with the group and based on the discussions, the Congress president has decided to constitute an 'Empowered Action Group-2024' in order to address the political challenges ahead," Surjewala said.

The meeting was convened at the 10, Janpath residence of Sonia Gandhi, where senior party leaders including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Ambika Soni, K C Venugopal, Surjewala, Mukul Wasnik, Digvijaya Singh, Jairam Ramesh and P Chidambaram were among those present.

During the meeting that lasted for over three hours, Gandhi discussed the recommendations with the members of the group.

These eight leaders were part of the group who had discussed and looked into the party's strategy for upcoming assembly and general elections and submitted its report along with recommendations to the Congress president on April 21. "The Congress president has decided to convene the 'Nav Sankalp Chintan Shivir' of the Indian National Congress in Udaipur on May 13, 14 and 15, 2022, where about 400 Congressmen and women from every state will participate," Surjewala said.

The focus of the deliberations will be on the current political and economic situation and the challenges they pose to our society and the nation, he said. Surjewala said the 'Chintan Shivir' will also deliberate on the broad strategy of the Indian National Congress for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

"Issues relating to the welfare and wellbeing of farmers and farm labourers, and the trampling of the rights of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, OBCs, religious and linguistic minorities and women social justice and empowerment and youth will also be discussed in detail," a statement from the party said.