Congress on Sunday pitched for a "common, constructive programme" with "like-minded" parties to fight the BJP’s "authoritarian, communal and crony capitalist onslaught" ahead of the "all important" Lok Sabha elections even as it asked its leaders to work with "discipline, solidarity and complete unity".
The five-point 'Raipur Declaration' adopted at the Plenary Session here on its concluding day also subtly indicated the realisation in the party that the liberalisation policy heralded has run its course and provided a governance roadmap for the country, as the time is "now ripe for a new vision" to empower the nation’s producers and reboot the economy.
It also put its emphasis on social security programmes and found it "critical" to immediately conduct a caste census to cement the foundations of social justice. These included a "drastically improved GST" regime and 'Sampoorna Samajik Suraksha' (complete social security) with a women-centric NYAY and Universal Right to Health Act among others.
The declaration reflected the efforts to forge a united Opposition ahead of Lok Sabha elections as well as strengthening its own organisation while subtly acknowledging the factional feuds in the party that could hamper its electoral prospects.
Without spelling out its leadership role in black and white in a united Opposition apparatus, the declaration emphasised that the Congress was the "only party" that has never compromised with the BJP-RSS and its "despicable politics" and promised to "always fight" to protect political values against the BJP’s "authoritarian, communal and crony capitalist onslaught".
It added, "we are prepared to work with like-minded political parties on the basis of a common, constructive programme to preserve and protect the Constitution in letter and spirit and to address the three main challenges facing the country: growing economic inequality, intensifying social polarisation and deepening political dictatorship."
With the country to witness "important" elections in Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana, the declaration wanted party workers and leaders to work with "discipline, solidarity and complete unity to ensure our victory" as the results of these elections will "set the tone for the all-important 2024 Lok Sabha election".
The emphasis on discipline and unity comes at a time when the party feels its prospects are better from earlier times but is facing intense factional feuds. In Rajasthan, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot are at loggerheads while in Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Health Minister TS Singh Deo are engaged in a bitter fight for leadership.
The declaration provided a central space for the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra with an acknowledgment that the Kanyakumari to Kashmir 'padayatra' took forward an inclusive and progressive vision of India where Constitutional values reign supreme while announcing a mass awareness campaign against the "crudest example of crony capitalism which the entire country and the world is seeing", in reference to the Adani Group issue.
"India awaits a reinvigorated Congress and we owe it to the people to fulfil their expectations. Crores of workers of the Congress party must build on the momentum of the Bharat Jodo Yatra to defeat the divisive forces of the BJP and RSS...We end the Raipur plenary with a renewed resolve and common purpose to build a stronger and united India," the declaration, read out by Congress General Secretary Mukul Wasnik, said.
On the governance plank, the declaration spoke about the need for reviving MSMEs and making them the engine of rapid growth and employment, through cluster-based skill development programmes for the youth, and dedicated funding and technological support for labour-intensive manufacturing.
GST must be drastically simplified and significantly improved for the benefit of small businesses and traders, and GST compensation for states must be extended for another five years. Agricultural policies and reforms must be reoriented to place farmers and farm workers at the centre, and not only production goals. Farmers must be safeguarded through measures such as debt relief and legally guaranteed MSP," it said.