NEW DELHI: It was a sign of acknowledgement of its disconnect from India, Congress will embark on a nationwide Bharat Jodo Yatra in October this year, interim president Sonia Gandhi said on Sunday.
The party will also set up a compact task force to drive the process of internal reforms that are essential for its revival, and that have been discussed in different groups, focusing on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Gandhi said on the final day of the party’s three-day Nav Sankalp Chintan Shivir in Udaipur, Rajasthan.
“We will launch a national Kanyakumari to Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra beginning on Gandhi Jayanti this year. All of us will participate in it,” Gandhi said while addressing the party leaders.
She said that this yatra is to strengthen the bonds of social harmony that are under stress, to preserve the foundational values of our Constitution that are under assault and to highlight the day-to-day concerns of crores of our people.
Eyeing a comeback in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Gandhi said, “A compact Task Force will be set up to drive the process of internal reforms that are essential and that have been discussed in different groups here.”
“These reforms with a focus on the 2024 Lok Sabha polls will cover all aspects of the organization including structure, rules for appointments to party posts, communications and publicity, outreach, finances and election management,” she said, adding that the composition of the Task Force will be notified in the next two-three days.
Gandhi also said that she has received a summary of discussions in each of the six groups. “They will inform our party positions, policies and programmes. They will also be of value to prepare manifestos for state and national elections,” Gandhi said.
“I want to make a special mention of the report of the organizational group since it is the most immediately relevant. Some of its ideas have formed part of the Udaipur Nav Sankalp Declaration that has just been adopted. I assure you that the detailed recommendations of the group will be acted upon expeditiously,” the Congress chief said.
She also said that phase two of the district-level Jan Jagran Abhiyan, which had been launched earlier, will resume a month later on June 15. “This extensive campaign will highlight economic issues, especially the growing unemployment and intolerable price rise that is destroying livelihoods,” she said.
Sonia Gandhi also said that she has also decided to have an advisory group drawn from the CWC that would meet regularly under her chairmanship to discuss and deliberate upon political issues and challenges before the party.
“Of course, we do have the CWC that meets from time to time and that will continue. The new group is not, however, a collective decision-making body but will help me get the benefit from the vast experience of senior colleagues. It too will be notified very soon,” she said.
“So, my friends and colleagues, let me wish you all the very best. We will overcome. That is our determination. That is our Nav Sankalp. The Congress will have a new Uday. That is our Nav Sankalp,” she added.
Over 450 leaders from across the country participated in the Chintan Shivir held in Udaipur.