Cong meet kicks off: Focus on ‘acceptance of reality’

Heading a coalition government at the Centre for the first time, the Congress political resolution at its 82nd plenary session is expected to reflect the party’s reconciliation with the new reality. Between the economic resolution and the one on poverty eradication and agriculture, scheduled for Sunday, the party is expected to theorise on the reform-with-a-human-face agenda.

For the first time, the party plenary is taking up a separate resolution on agriculture, which used to be part of the economic resolution. In the last seven years, the Congress has changed its position on coalitions from strong opposition to them at Panchmarhi in 1998 to reluctant welcome at Shimla in 2003.

Deliberations on the resolutions went on until late in the evening at a meeting of the extended Congress Working Committee, which includes state presidents and leaders of Congress Legislative parties. All 20 CWC members, 13 of its 14 permanent invitees and 13 special invitees attended. Absent was Karnataka CM Dharam Singh, who, said AICC General Secretary Ambika Soni, was more needed in Bangalore. Uttaranchal CM N D Tiwari, and Himachal CM Veer Bhadra Singh were absent as well.

Before the meeting, PM Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi opened a photo exhibition on Congress history.