The shortcut to getting a Congress ticket used to be through 24, Akbar Road, office of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in Delhi. But not anymore.At the meeting of all the AICC secretaries on Tuesday, party president Sonia Gandhi announced a four-month-long plan to identify potential leaders among the lowest level functionaries who are popular but do not have access to the upper echelons. Sources say this plan would also help identify those who could be given tickets in the coming Assembly polls and LS elections in 2004.Party sources add that Sonia may participate in the proposed conventions, though her schedule has not been finalised.The plan, beginning from May 1, would cross-check with junior party workers the winnability factor of leaders of who have fought elections before. Explaining the plan, Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Sonia, said: ‘‘This exercise is primarily to identify hidden talent, to identify potential candidates and also to bring to the fore hard-working party workers.’’It includes gathering extensive inputs from block level, district level and state level functionaries on the caste and community profile of the constituencies, and fine-tuning issues which would work in the elections. Workers, apart from being filled in on the party’s stand on various issues, would also be encouraged to air their views which would be recorded and considered while drafting the manifestos for the state Assembly elections this year-end and also for the general elections later.Next week, these 26 AICC secretaries would travel to the states they supervise and introduce the plan to the local units.The first part of the plan starts with block level conventions which would be held in all states. This ends on June 15. From June 15 to August 30, district-level conventions would be held followed by a series of agitations and rallies from July 1 to July 15 highlighting the failures of the NDA government.The August Kranti Yatra would begin from August 9, to highlight the party’s achievements in freedom movement, and contribution to the nation.
