The top decision-making body of the Congress met on Monday ahead of a brainstorming session in Rajasthan's Udaipur to discuss the agenda for it and clear a batch of internal reports on organisational reforms, social justice and empowerment, agriculture and farmers among other issues.
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, son and MP Rahul Gandhi and other leaders attended the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting at the party's headquarters in Delhi.
"Congress has been good to all, time to repay that debt in full. There are no magic wands, only discipline, consistent collective purpose to demonstrate our tenacity, resilience. Chintan Shivir shouldn't bea ritual, it should herald a restructured organisation to meet ideological, electoral challenges," Sonia Gandhi said at the meeting.
"Self-criticism needed in party forums, but shouldn't be done in manner that self-confidence, morale is eroded. Seek full cooperation of leaders to ensure unity, determination, commitment to Congress's accelerated revival," she said in an apparent reference to voices of dissent in the party in recent times.
Besides setting the agenda for the Udaipur 'Chintan Shivir', the CWC meeting also discussed greater social representation of various sections in all organisational positions, above the current 33 per cent per cent reservation for women, empowering state units to decide booth and district level heads, the party is planning to address some key concerns to take on the BJP, sources said.
The party had last month announced that the 'Chintan Shivir', a three-day brainstorming session from May 13-15, would be held in Udaipur, where party leaders from across the country will discuss internal issues confronting it and come up with solutions to galvanise the organisation.
About 400 top party leaders are expected to attend the camp. Senior leaders including those in the Congress Working Committee (CWC), members of parliament, state in-charges, general secretaries, and state presidents will participate in the Chintan Shivir.
Senior Congress leaders Venugopal, Ajay Maken and Ashok Gehlot had taken stock of the preparations for the event last week.
Buffeted by a string of electoral reverses, the Congress had earlier also announced that an empowered group would be constituted to address the political challenges ahead and prepare the strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, days after deliberating on a revival plan presented by poll strategist Prashant Kishor.
Mr Kishor had subsequently declined the Congress's offer to join the party as a member of the committee with sources saying he was keen on getting a free hand to introduce big bang reforms instead of incremental changes.
As it gears up for assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh later this year, besides other state polls in 2023 and the Lok Sabha election in 2024, the Congress also plans to hold internal polls between August 21 and September 20 this year.
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