The brainstorming session (ChintanShivir) of Congress will be held in Jaipur from January 18 to20 to discuss political and economic situations and seek newideas ahead of the next Lok Sabha elections.
Of the three-day event, two days will be devoted tobrainstorming session of 300-odd senior leaders and willculiminate into a day-long AICC meeting on the last day, AICCgeneral secretary Janardan Dwivedi told reporters here today.
The AICC meeting will endorse the conclusions arrived atduring the brainstorming exercise, the third such 'Shivir'since Sonia Gandhi became Congress President in 1998. Theearlier two brainstorming sessions were held at Pachmarhi inMadhya Pradesh and Shimla in Himachal Pradesh.
The first 'Shivir' was held at Pachmarhi in 1998 soonafter Gandhi took over reins of the organisation. The second'Shivir' held at Shimla in 2003 led to Congress coming topower at the Centre via the coalition route in May, 2004.
The exercise in Jaipur will be crucial for the party andis expected to be the first such venture after a proposedreshuffle of AICC secretariat when Rahul Gandhi is set toassume a larger role in the party.
The idea of 'Chintan Shivir' was mooted by Sonia Gandhiin the party's plenary here in December, 2010 but it could notmaterialise as both the government and the party had battledone crisis after another since then.
The issue of alliances is expected to figure prominentlyat the Jaipur brainstorming session as it had done inPachmarhi and Shimla. At Pachmarhi, Congress had held thatcoalition is a transient phase while that in Shimla had calledfor unity of secular forces that led to the formation of UPAin 2004 ousting BJP-led NDA from power.
It will be held after assembly election results inGujarat and Himachal Pradesh come out and preparations forassembly polls in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh andDelhi would have commenced.
The 'Shivir' will review political and economic situationas well discuss schemes implemented by UPA government inrural and urban areas, Dwivedi said.
Congress has a set up an Election Coordination Committee headed by Rahul Gandhi with three sub-groups one of which isexclusively devoted to the issue of alliances.
The Shivir is part of a series of programmes by Congressin recent months to galvanize the party for the Lok Sabhaelections.
On November 9 this year, a day-long strategy sessionnamed "dialogue meeting" was held at nearby Surajkund inCongress-ruled Haryana, days after the party organized anational rally in New Delhi on November 4 to counter theOpposition attack on FDI in retail issue.
The Chintan Shivir will be a bigger exercise than the'dialogue meeting' and have representation from statesincluding chief ministers, PCC presidents and CLP leaders.
After securing more than 200 seats in 2009 Lok Sabhaelections and improving its tally substantially, Congress hasfailed to make a mark in some key assembly elections includingin Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Tamil Nadu.
The coming Chintan Shivir could take a fresh look at theissue of alliances as there is a view in the party thattie-ups cannot be wished away in present circumstances.
Concerned over the adverse political fall-out of theeconomic reforms measures and the battering on account ofscams, the Congress President had asked the party and thegovernment at the dialogue meeting to pull their socks up toget a renewed mandate in the next Lok Sabha elections.
In the dialogue meeting, the government was given a clearmessage by Gandhi that it is the party that brings it to powerand those in the government should understand the difficultiesof the organisation.
"With a year and half left for the Lok Sabha elections,both party and government will have to work cohesivelytogether to ensure that we secure a renewed mandate," Gandhihad said.
At Burari plenary session while announcing the plan tohold Chintan Shivir, Gandhi had said it will give "anopportunity to refresh our perspectives on crucial nationalissues and also review the functioning of our organisation.
"It will be an occasion to hear the voices of ourcolleagues, particularly the younger ones, to bring new energyto our thinking".
"The views expressed in two days during the ChintanShivir will be placed in the AICC meeting where they areexpected to be endorsed," Dwivedi said.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, JanardanDwivedi, Oscar Fernandes, Motilal Vora arrived in Jaipur tofinalise arrangements.
They also met Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and visitedsome places.