Eyeing revival, Congress mulls 'padayatras'

Senior Congress leaders on Saturday discussed a road map for nationwide agitation for the next two years leading up to the Lok Sabha polls at the Chintan Shivir in Udaipur.

The leaders could hit the streets soon after the Shivir through a series of ‘padayatras’ if the final proposal is accepted by the Congress Working Committee that will meet to finalise the Udaipur declaration.

Leaders have told the deliberations that connections must be established from village to village, door to door and people to people contacts, through seminars, workshops, and interactive sessions, sources said.

Also Read | Cong may support 'quota within quota' for minorities, may raise their representation in party to 50%

Sources said senior leader Digvijaya Singh, who heads the Sustained Agitation Committee, made a detailed presentation at a meeting of Congress General Secretaries, party in-charges, state presidents and Congress Legislature Party leaders chaired by Sonia.

Top leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also attended the meeting among others to deliberate on 'Jan Jagran Abhigyan 2.0'.

Sources said protests will be planned from the grassroots to the national level. An agitation plan for the district, state and national level are being chalked out.

Also Read | ‘50 below 50’: Cong's likely formula for more youth representation in party

Sources said deliberations focused on an agitation and mobilisation roadmap for the next two years that will be tailored to the political realities of specific states.

The party had formed the committee on agitation in September and, on its recommendation, had launched a fortnight-long agitation against price rise in November last year which was later extended by a month.

The panel had planned an agitation on unemployment in January, but was postponed due to the Assembly elections in five states.