Udaipur: Congress plans 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' to connect with masses before polls

UDAIPUR: The Congress will undertake a couple of yatras to connect with the masses and to take on the BJP-RSS before the next assembly and Lok Sabha elections. Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday said a 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' from Kashmir to Kanyakumari will begin on Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti (October 2) this year.
She was speaking at the conclusion of the party's three-day 'Nav Sankalp Shivir' here on Sunday.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi addressed the over 400 party leaders assembled here, and said the entire Congress would undertake the yatra to strengthen its connection with the people. "We need to accept that we have lost connection with the people... The relationship with people cannot be strengthened through shortcuts; it requires hard work and sweat," Rahul said.
Sonia said the party would resume the second phase of its 'Jan Jagran Yatra' at the district level from June 15. AICC general secretary Ajay Maken said the panel on youth affairs at the 'Chintan Shivir' has proposed a 'Rojgar Yatra' also from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke of giving jobs to the youth but today we have the highest unemployment. Modi and BJP have broken the backbone (of economy) with 'notebandi' and GST to benefit 2-3 businessmen. Soon the youth will be unable to find jobs, while the inflation will rise," Rahul said.
The Congress held the session in the backdrop of a string of electoral defeats and dissent in the party for the past many years. "After these discussions, we have a clear direction on where we need to go," said Rahul.
In rebuff to G-23, Sonia says will form advisory group to implement reforms
Udaipur: Following a three-day brainstorming by the party's national leaders here, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday announced the creation of a task force to swiftly implement the organisational reforms agreed upon at the 'Nav Sankalp Shivir'. The task force's composition would be announced in the coming week.
Calling it the 'Udaipur Declaration', the Congress announced wide-ranging reforms, including increased representation to people under 50 years of age, enforcing 'one person, one post' and 'one family, one ticket' rules.
The party has decided to set up three internal departments - public insight, election management and national training - to fight the BJP-RSS combine. The six panels formed for discussions on as many subjects submitted a detailed report to Sonia Gandhi on Sunday.
In her concluding remarks, Sonia said, "I have decided to have an advisory group drawn from the CWC that would meet regularly under my chairpersonship to discuss and deliberate upon political issues and challenges before our party. Of course, we do have the CWC that meets from time to time and that will continue."
She clarified, "The new group is not, however, a collective decision-making body but will help me get the benefit of the vast experience of senior colleagues," she asserted and said it will be notified very soon. The G-23 dissident leaders had made a persistent call for "collective leadership" in the party while demanding an organisational overhaul. The summary of discussions and resolutions taken by the six panels-Organisation, Political, Economy, Agriculture, Social Justice and Youth-were announced by AICC general secretary Ajay Maken.