NEW DELHI: Setting the tone for the days ahead, new Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday told the party’s office bearers to fall in line or make way for new colleagues. Kharge’s strong warning came at the first meeting of the Congress steering committee, which also decided to hold the three-day plenary session in the second half of February in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
The steering committee was constituted in place of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) after Kharge took over as party chief in October. The meeting was attended by former party president Sonia Gandhi, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, and P Chidambaram, among others
The Raipur plenary session will ratify Kharge’s election as party president and will deliberate on the process of forming the CWC, among other organisational issues. In his opening remarks at the meeting on Sunday, Kharge said organisational accountability from top to bottom is paramount. “Only if the Congress organisation is strong, accountable, and lives up to the expectations of the people, will we be able to win elections and serve the people,” he said.
In a stern warning to non-performing general secretaries and in-charges of states, he said: “Those who are unable to fulfil responsibility will have to give a chance to new colleagues.” He asked: “Have you visited the states under your charge for at least 10 days in a month? Have you visited every district and discussed with party leaders about the local issues? Have all the district and block committees been formed? How many times have you taken out agitations at the block, district, and state level as called by the AICC on important issues?”
Congress plans new campaign
The Congress has also decided to organise a two-month-long “Haat Se Haat Jodo” campaign from January 26 across the country as a follow-up to the Bharat Jodo Yatra