NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday called for a constitutional freeze on the current strength of the Lok Sabha for another 25 years while implementing the 33 per cent reservation for women from the 2029 elections, and decided to launch a nationwide campaign on issues facing students and the alleged corruption at the Ram Temple and the E20 issue.
The party’s stand came at a four-hour-long Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting chaired by party president Mallikarjun Kharge. The meeting at Indira Bhawan was attended by Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K C Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh, among others.
The party also decided to adhere to its historic 1937 position of singing only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram at party events. Briefing reporters after the meeting, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Ramesh said that regarding delimitation, the Congress is in favour of keeping the current number of Lok Sabha seats—543—the same for the next 25 years. “At the same time, we demand the implementation of women’s reservation on this very number,” Ramesh said.
The party will also hold nationwide protests on the alleged corruption involving the donation to Ram Temple. “Ram Mandir chanda chori is not only the issue of Ram Mandir now, but it has also become an issue of the sentiments of the people,” party leader KC Venugopal said.
As for the education reforms, Kharge called for a comprehensive and time-bound “Education-to-Employment Roadmap”. The CWC asked Congress chief ministers to prepare state-specific reports within one month on the reforms required in the education sector.
In its resolution, the CWC alleged that paper leaks had reached “epidemic proportions”, claiming at least 152 instances since 2014, and accused the Centre of failing educated youth on employment. It also condemned the police action against students protesting NEET-UG leak and calling for the Union education ministers’ resignation.
Concerns were also raised about the rollout of E20 petrol, including questions over fuel contamination and the environmental impact of diverting sugarcane and maize for ethanol production.