In a significant political move, the Congress party's top leadership convened in New Delhi for an extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Saturday. This marked the party's first major gathering following its disappointing performance in the Bihar Assembly elections held in November.
High-Level Deliberations on Political Strategy
The meeting, attended by the party's highest echelons, was primarily focused on formulating a robust strategy against the central government. A central point of contention and discussion was the Centre's recent legislative action to replace the UPA-era Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the new Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act. Congress leaders have been vehement in their criticism of this move, which formed a core agenda item during the deliberations.
The gathering saw the presence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, CPP chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. Also in attendance were the chief ministers of Congress-ruled states, various Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) presidents, and other senior figures. Notably, Shashi Tharoor participated in the discussions despite reported ongoing differences with the party leadership.
Internal Reforms and Electoral Roadmap
The discussions gained added urgency with an eye on the upcoming Assembly elections in several states, including Assam, Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry. The party is keen to recalibrate its approach after the Bihar setback.
During the meeting, veteran leader Digvijay Singh made a public appeal to Rahul Gandhi, urging him to champion internal organisational reforms. Singh called for a more decentralised and pragmatic functioning within the party structure, highlighting a perceived need for change from within.
BJP's Attack and Mounting Pressure
As the Congress leadership huddled, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a sharp offensive. The BJP mocked the CWC, dubbing it a "Congress Whitewash Committee". It questioned whether Rahul Gandhi would be held accountable for the party's defeat in Bihar and criticized what it termed a failed "vote chori" campaign. This external attack underscores the growing political pressure on the Congress leadership as it seeks to regroup and redefine its opposition strategy.
The extended CWC meeting, therefore, served as a critical platform for the Grand Old Party to assess its recent losses, debate its stance on key policy changes by the government, and plan its roadmap for the challenging electoral battles ahead.
