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Journalism of Courage
In a move seen as the first step towards preparation for general elections in 2004, the Congress today held a meeting of state party presidents from across the country.
Presidents of over 25 Pradesh Congress Committees (PCC) met the All India Congress Committee general secretaries in charge of these states and senior leaders of the Congress Working Committee.
Political advisor to the Congress president, Ambika Soni, said: ‘‘This preparation is an on-going process for Assembly elections this year and the general elections later on.’’
The meeting is also the precursor to the two-day convention of the presidents of Congress blocks, the smallest unit of the party in the state, on March 28 and 29.
This would be the first time that the Congress would have called upon its smallest denominators in the party from all over the country, about 10,000 members, for a meeting with party president Sonia Gandhi.
While Sonia had mentioned her plan to call such a convention in her maiden speech after taking over as the party president, it took roughly five years for it to be implemented. However, it is also felt in the party circles that such a meeting should be called a short duration before the general elections, which would help in energising the cadre to the optimum extent.
The party is also expected to clarify to the cadres its stand on various issues including Hindutva, cow slaughter, farmers and drought, price rise and women’s empowerment. A resolution detailing the party stand is expected at the convention, which would also take into account the views expressed today at the meeting of PCC presidents.
Another concern that will be addressed will be ‘‘fragmentation of secular forces’’ which has repeatedly cut into Congress vote-bank in northern states where Samajwadi Party and BSP have put up a good fight.
Today’s meeting would be followed by state-level meetings of district and block members before the final convention in the Capital in end-March.
