CWC meeting on Oct 9; caste census, upcoming polls and targeting of Oppn leaders on agenda

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) will meet in New Delhi next Monday to discuss the evolving political situation in the country, including those related to caste census, upcoming elections to five states and the targeting of Opposition politicians by investigating agencies.

The meeting on October 9 at 10.30 am chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge comes a week after the Bihar government released caste data of the state following a survey and set the pitch for a vigorous campaign on the issue by the I.N.D.I.A bloc parties.

The party will send an unambiguous message to its workers, especially against the backdrop of criticism of ‘jitna aabadi, utna haq’ (proportional representation) pitch from leaders like Abhishek Singhvi, where it stands.

It will also give its counter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his attack on the Congress over the issue. Modi has claimed that the Congress pitch would end up in eating up minority rights.

The meeting is also likely to take up the issue of upcoming Assembly elections and finetune the strategy. The party is likely to ask its campaigners to stick to local issues and not drag national issues to give Modi and the BJP a handle.

It will also set the tone for bringing caste census as an issue during the campaign, like it did during the Karnataka Assembly elections.

Against the backdrop of the arrest of AAP leader Sanjay Singh, the CWC is also likely to discuss the targeting of Opposition leaders by central agencies in the run up to the Assembly elections.