Congress president Rahul Gandhi constituted the new panel last week.
Congress Working Committee, the grand old party's highest decision making body, held a meet today to set the tone for 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Party president Rahul Gandhi got the mandate to form alliances for the upcoming general election in an attempt to usurp the BJP.
"We are committed to make alliances work and we are all with him (Rahul Gandhi) in this endeavour. We have to rescue our people from a dangerous regime that is compromising the democracy of India," Sonia Gandhi said in her address to the members. Senior leaders of the party meet a day after West Bengal Chief Minister announced her strategy for the general elections next year and vowed to oust the BJP.
Here are the highlights of the CWC meet:
Rahul Gandhi told NDTV that the process of forming alliances has commenced. A committee has been formed to look at forming alliances, he added.
The CWC meeting ends, with Rahul Gandhi getting the mandate to form alliances
The CWC evolved during freedom struggle. It's a forum where India expressed, debated, contested and consented ideas to take the nation from colonial rule to freedom: Rahul Gandhi At CWC meet
Expansion of our party vote base is one of our biggest tasks. In each constituency, we have to find people who have not voted for us and develop a strategy to reach out to them and win back their trust: Congress President Rahul Gandhi At CWC meet
CWC gave voice to every single Indian. It accommodated views from different perspectives and gave space to the weakest voices of India. Our collective challenge is to shape our current CWC to that level: Rahul Gandhi
We have tried to strike to a balance between the youth and experience in the CWC. The central idea behind the formation of this CWC is to make it inclusive, diverse and dynamic and representative: Rahul Gandhi
Centre's claim of doubling farm income by 2022 will require an agricultural growth rate of 14 pecent, which is nowhere in sight: Manmohan Singh at the CWC meet
Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh are the senior members of the new CWC that will form the core team of the party for the state elections this year and the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, news agency IANS reported.
Manmohan Singh Rejects Culture Of Constant "Self Praise"Former prime minister Manmohan Singh at the CWC meet today assured Rahul Gandhi that he and all other Congressmen will help him in the onerous task of restoring India's social harmony and economic development.
"I assure Rahul Gandhiji that we will fully support him in his onerous task of restoring India's social harmony and economic development," he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. He rejected the culture of constant "self praise and jumlas" (gimmicks) in a veiled attack at the ruling government.
Senior Congress leaders Janardan Dwivedi and Digvijay Singh are not attending the CWC meet. Party president Rahul Gandhi had dropped both the leaders from CWC earlier, news agency ANI reported, citing sources
Congress leaders Sachin Pilot, Shakti Singh Gohil, Ramesh Chennithala at the CWC meet said that the party should not shy away from a strategic alliance, however, the party should remain at the centre of alliance and Rahul Gandhi should be the face of the alliance, news agency ANI reported citing sources.
I am saying that alliances will be dependent on where the national leadership takes us and wherever it takes us we will go. People are expressing confidence in Congress now: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on CWC meet
P Chidambaram at the CWC meet said the party was strong in 12 states. "We can boost our number by three times to bring it to 150 seats. In the rest of the states, alliance with regional parties important," Mr Chidambaram said, ANI reported citing sources.
"Sonia Gandhi ji points out that rhetoric of PM Modi shows his desperation, reflecting that reverse countdown of Modi Govt has begun," senior party leader RS Surjewala said at the CWC meet, news agency ANI reported.
The CWC meet is underway at Parliament Annexe.
The Congress panel was by constituted by party president Rahul Gandhi on July 17 by appointing 23 members and dropping some senior leaders in a bid to strike a balance between age and experience. Former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Digvijay Singh was among the senior leaders dropped from the Congress panel.
Former PM Dr Manmohan Singh, Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Congress President RahulGandhi addressed the Congress Working Committee meet.
Rahul Gandhi Accuses BJP Of Oppressing The PoorAt the Congress Working Committee Meet today, Rahul Gandhi today accused the BJP of oppressing the poor and Dalits, news agency IANS reported. Mr Gandhi also urged the party workers to work for India's poor.
As he chaired his first party meet, Mr Gandhi also called Congress the "voice of India". Read
here.
