Saurabh Mukherjee
The Congress party on Tuesday, April 8, announced plans for a massive organisational reshuffle, with detailed guidelines expected soon. The announcement came during an extended session of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) held at the Sardar Patel Memorial in Ahmedabad, ahead of a key All India Congress Committee (AICC) meeting scheduled for Wednesday.
Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal said the restructuring would focus on strengthening the party’s grassroots network, particularly empowering District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents.
“We are going to have a massive organisational reshuffle, and there will be deadlines for the same. Our general secretaries and in-charges are on this job,” Venugopal told reporters, adding that the party has finalised proposals to enhance the roles, duties, and powers of DCC leaders.
The Ahmedabad session marks the party’s sixth in Gujarat and its third in the city since its founding in 1885. It holds symbolic value, coming just ahead of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s 150th birth anniversary in October and as the Congress seeks to regain footing in a state where the BJP has dominated for decades.
Themed “Nyay Path: Sankalp, Samarpan aur Sangharsh” (Path of Justice: Determination, Dedication, and Struggle), the CWC session gathered around 158 senior leaders, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi. However, 35 members, including Priyanka Gandhi, could not attend.
In his address, Kharge accused the BJP and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), of orchestrating a "well-planned conspiracy" to distort the legacy of national icons like Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru. He called it “laughable” that the BJP, which he said had no role in India’s freedom struggle, was trying to appropriate Patel’s legacy.
“Today, attention is being diverted from the basic issues of the country by creating communal division. On the other hand, oligarchic monopolies are capturing the resources of the nation,” Kharge said.
He cited public records to argue that Patel and Nehru shared a close working relationship, refuting claims of rivalry.
“They were two sides of the same coin,” he stated.
Kharge also highlighted Patel’s opposition to the RSS, recalling that Patel had once banned the organisation.
“It is laughable that people of that very ideology now try to claim Patel as their own,” he said.
The Congress passed a resolution to uphold Patel’s legacy, rejecting attempts to pit him against Nehru. The resolution and discussions are part of a broader strategy to reassert the Congress' ideological roots and counter the BJP’s narrative.
Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh emphasised that the party’s push for social, economic, and political justice—core values enshrined in the Constitution—would be a central theme of the Congress agenda moving forward.
“Party chief Rahul Gandhi, along with other members, discussed this resolution,” he said.
"The Congress agenda for social, economic and political justice will also come up in Wednesday’s meeting, where members will share their perspectives," he added.
Ramesh also criticised what he called “systematic attacks” on Gandhian institutions and legacy.
"They talk about Mahatma Gandhi and malign his name. One BJP MLA was asked – ‘Gandhi or Godse?’ and he responded saying ‘I will have to think.’ This is their mentality...They’re destroying the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel systematically by attacking them," he asserted
Congress leader Sachin Pilot echoed the need for a strengthened grassroots structure.
“We are working towards empowering district-level units with greater responsibility and political authority,” he said.
Meanwhile, the intense heat in Ahmedabad took a toll on senior leader P. Chidambaram, who fell ill during a visit to the Gandhi Ashram. He was rushed to Zydus Hospital and diagnosed with dehydration. State Health Minister Rushikesh Patel visited him at the hospital. Chidambaram was discharged after an hour of observation.
The two-day session is expected to culminate with key resolutions on national and Gujarat-specific issues, underscoring the Congress’ efforts to reframe its political strategy and reconnect with the public ahead of upcoming elections.
Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal said the restructuring would focus on strengthening the party’s grassroots network, particularly empowering District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents.
“We are going to have a massive organisational reshuffle, and there will be deadlines for the same. Our general secretaries and in-charges are on this job,” Venugopal told reporters, adding that the party has finalised proposals to enhance the roles, duties, and powers of DCC leaders.
The Ahmedabad session marks the party’s sixth in Gujarat and its third in the city since its founding in 1885. It holds symbolic value, coming just ahead of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s 150th birth anniversary in October and as the Congress seeks to regain footing in a state where the BJP has dominated for decades.
Themed “Nyay Path: Sankalp, Samarpan aur Sangharsh” (Path of Justice: Determination, Dedication, and Struggle), the CWC session gathered around 158 senior leaders, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi. However, 35 members, including Priyanka Gandhi, could not attend.
In his address, Kharge accused the BJP and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), of orchestrating a "well-planned conspiracy" to distort the legacy of national icons like Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru. He called it “laughable” that the BJP, which he said had no role in India’s freedom struggle, was trying to appropriate Patel’s legacy.
“Today, attention is being diverted from the basic issues of the country by creating communal division. On the other hand, oligarchic monopolies are capturing the resources of the nation,” Kharge said.
He cited public records to argue that Patel and Nehru shared a close working relationship, refuting claims of rivalry.
“They were two sides of the same coin,” he stated.
Kharge also highlighted Patel’s opposition to the RSS, recalling that Patel had once banned the organisation.
“It is laughable that people of that very ideology now try to claim Patel as their own,” he said.
The Congress passed a resolution to uphold Patel’s legacy, rejecting attempts to pit him against Nehru. The resolution and discussions are part of a broader strategy to reassert the Congress' ideological roots and counter the BJP’s narrative.
Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh emphasised that the party’s push for social, economic, and political justice—core values enshrined in the Constitution—would be a central theme of the Congress agenda moving forward.
“Party chief Rahul Gandhi, along with other members, discussed this resolution,” he said.
"The Congress agenda for social, economic and political justice will also come up in Wednesday’s meeting, where members will share their perspectives," he added.
Ramesh also criticised what he called “systematic attacks” on Gandhian institutions and legacy.
"They talk about Mahatma Gandhi and malign his name. One BJP MLA was asked – ‘Gandhi or Godse?’ and he responded saying ‘I will have to think.’ This is their mentality...They’re destroying the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel systematically by attacking them," he asserted
Congress leader Sachin Pilot echoed the need for a strengthened grassroots structure.
“We are working towards empowering district-level units with greater responsibility and political authority,” he said.
Meanwhile, the intense heat in Ahmedabad took a toll on senior leader P. Chidambaram, who fell ill during a visit to the Gandhi Ashram. He was rushed to Zydus Hospital and diagnosed with dehydration. State Health Minister Rushikesh Patel visited him at the hospital. Chidambaram was discharged after an hour of observation.
The two-day session is expected to culminate with key resolutions on national and Gujarat-specific issues, underscoring the Congress’ efforts to reframe its political strategy and reconnect with the public ahead of upcoming elections.
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