The Maharashtra Congress is gearing up to chalk out its road map to implement the party’s Udaipur Declaration at a two-day Chintan Shivir in Shirdi on June 1 and 2. The action plan to chart the Congress’s revival was adopted at the Nav Sankalp Chintan Shivir held in Udaipur earlier this month.
Ashish Dua, the All India Congress Committee’s secretary for Maharashtra, said all senior State party leaders would be attending the event. “This two-day workshop is being held to discuss the various resolutions passed in Udaipur and how to implement them at the State level. There will be six different panels, where members will deliberate on political issues, organisational reforms, economy, social justice, agriculture and youth affairs. The members will then make a presentation on the session’s concluding day,” he said.
Mr. Dua said the Chintan Shivir would focus more on the Udaipur Declaration than on political developments in the State. “Since we are part of the State government, political developments will be discussed by the group concerned. But that’s not the focus of this programme,” he said.
The 15-page Udaipur Declaration includes significant reforms such as adopting the ‘one family, one ticket’ rule , ‘one person, one post’ norm, 50% party posts to people below 50 years of age, setting up of a political affairs committee in every State and a mechanism to evaluate the performance of office-bearers.
‘Unhappy with party choice’
The brainstorming session comes amid rumblings of discontent within the State unit over the party’s candidate for the June 10 election to the Rajya Sabha. Congress president Sonia Gandhi had on Sunday night announced that Imran Pratapgarhi, who hails from Uttar Pradesh and heads the party’s minority cell, would be the candidate to the Upper House from Maharashtra.
Mr. Dua dismissed reports of rifts over the party’s choice. “This is the party’s decision and everyone stands by it,” he said.
However, sources within the State Congress begged to differ. “Was it our choice? I don’t think so. But it seems ultimately the high command has decided on the name and we have no option but to follow it,” said a senior party leader. He said a candidate from Maharashtra would have been a better choice.
Another office-bearer said the arrangement within the party could be that the high command will have a say over the Rajya Sabha candidates, while State units can choose their candidates for the Council polls.
Combative stance
The State unit also appears to be divided over its president Nana Patole’s combative approach towards its allies in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. A section within the party has expressed its displeasure over Mr. Patole’s repeated targeting of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
“A local dispute should be kept at the local level and not stretched to the State level,” said a senior leader from Vidarbha, alluding to Mr. Patole’s run-ins with NCP leader Praful Patel over political issues in Bhandara district — the home turf of both leaders.
State Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe, however, sought to allay concerns over the signs of unrest within the party. “We are going strong in coordination with all senior leaders of the party,” he said.
