CWC accepts Antony panel recommendations

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 12: In the wake of its worst-ever electoral debacle, Congress today began the process of toning up the organisation wi...

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 12: In the wake of its worst-ever electoral debacle, Congress today began the process of toning up the organisation with its working committee CWC agreeing to most of the recommendations by the Antony committee including advance selection of candidates and maintaining flexibility on the key issue of alliances.

The CWC, which had a marathon eight-hour sitting spread over two sessions till late last night accepted 18 of the 20 recommendations made by the Antony committee which was appointed by party president Sonia Gandhi to probe the debacle.

As delay in selection of candidates in the just concluded polls was one of the causes for the poor showing, the working committee decided that the announcement of candidates for assembly polls would be done at least one month in advance and in Lok Sabha elections at least three months in advance.

On the question of alliances, the CWC noted that the Pachmarhi declaration provided 8220;adequate flexibility8221; for the party to approach the issue ofalliances and coalitions in a pragmatic manner, weighing advantages and disadvantages on a case-by-case basis.

Briefing reporters later, senior party leader, Pranab Mukherjee said Congress had made it clear at Pachmarhi that it would consider coalitions only when absolutely necessary and on the basis of agreed programmes that would not weaken the organisation8217;s policies and programmes.

Another highlight was the CWC agreeing to drastic pruning of PCCs wherever they were of a 8220;jumbo8221; size. With the CWC deciding on the Antony committee report, Gandhi is soon expected to effect changes at several levels in the organisation to make it stronger ahead of the crucial assembly polls in Bihar, Orissa and Manipur early next year. Asked as to when the changes would take place, Mukherjee said Gandhi had twice been authorised by the AICC to restructure the party at all levels and therefore it was upto her to decide the issue.

The two suggestions of the Antony committee which were 8220;kept pending8221; by the CWC wereturning the district Congress committees and block Congress committees into Lok Sabha constituency committees and assembly constituency committees.

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Mukherjee said they have been kept pending as the CWC has no power to implement them before the AICC amends the party constitution on the issues.Apparently taking a cue from British Prime Minister Tony Blair who transformed the Labour Party to take it to power after successive defeats, the CWC underlined the need to end the growing alienation of Congress from the educated urban middle class as also the need to woo the intelligentsia in a big way.