NEW DELHI: Seeking to strengthen the party at the grassroots, top Congress leadership on Thursday held a meeting with district unit chiefs urging them to work unitedly with a long-term strategy to ensure victory in upcoming state elections.
In his inaugural address, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge asserted the organisation's ideology is strong but it cannot be implemented in the country without attaining power.
Emphasising the role of DCCs, senior leader and formed president Rahul Gandhi said without them, the party cannot thrive or succeed. He urged them to help build a stronger Congress and a fairer India.
This is the first time in years that the party organised such a meet with district chiefs, which was attended by 338 DCCs from 13 states and three union territories. This was the first in the series of meetings, with two more slated here on April 3 and 4.
Addressing the meeting, Gandhi said he emphasised on the role of DCCs as the foundation of the Congress party.
"Without them, the party cannot thrive, cannot succeed. Our fight is not just against the RSS-BJP. It is for an India where every citizen, every community, has the right to dream and achieve. Together, we will build a stronger Congress and a fairer India," he said in a post on his WhatsApp channel.
Congress' publicity department head Pawan Khera later told reporters the meeting carried forward the decision of the 2022 Udaipur Chintan Shivir that DCCs should be made strong and effective.
Today a big step has been taken in that direction, he said, adding the AICC is going to make decisions on economically empowering DCCs.
Khera said four presentations were made at the meeting: Sasikanth Senthili on the organsational structure, Khera himself made one on behalf of the communication department, Supriya Shrinate on social media and Vijay Inder Singla on how party's property can be used effectively in districts.
The meeting was also addressed by senior leaders including AICC treasurer Ajay Maken. AICC General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal was also present.
In his inaugural address, Kharge said INDIA bloc parties fought unitedly against the BJP and its allies, restricting them to 240 seats in the Lok Sabha elections. Had the Congress got 20-30 seats more, an alternative government would have been formed, he said.
Calling the DCC chiefs the first line of party' defence at the ground, he said their inputs will be crucial in planning the party's strategy.
"Our 'Save Constitution' campaign exposed BJP-RSS' secret desire to change the Constitution. Today, the BJP is short of majority and dependent on two allies. A prime minister who arrogantly claimed (they would win) 400 seats was dealt a significant blow by us," Kharge said.
"The Congress Party secured almost 100 seats. If we had worked harder, we could have gained 20-30 more seats. A gain of these many seats could have led to the formation of an alternative government in the country," Kharge said at the meeting.
"Had we achieved this, we could have halted the systematic assault on our independent institutions, democracy, and the Constitution," he said.
He said the Congress' battle against the BJP and the RSS continues both inside and outside Parliament.
"We must take this fight to the streets."
Appreciating the role of the DCC chiefs, he said, "You are not just our messengers, but the generals of the Congress Party, leading from the front on the ground. Therefore, Rahul Gandhi ji and I recognised the need for direct communication with you."
It is essential to appoint the most capable, committed, and hardworking individuals to these positions rather than making selections based on the recommendations of the local leaders, he said.
The Congress chief said elections will be held in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu in March-April 2026. "It is your responsibility to ensure the victory of every candidate in your district," he told the DCCs.
"Most importantly, we must remember to work in unity with a long-term strategy to win elections at the state level. Our ideology is strong, but without power, we cannot implement it. That is why we have to make every effort to strengthen the organisation in states and return to power," he asserted.
"You are not just carrying forward our ideology but also the fight for India's future. You must take our message to every household. We will fight and establish a government across the country that prioritises people and their issues, our democracy, and our Constitution," he said.
Claiming that independent institutions the Congress built painstakingly are now under attack by those in power, being controlled by a handful of people with allegiance to a particular ideology.
"In foreign affairs, countries like the USA are not only insulting our citizens, but also embarrassing us by imposing counter-tariffs. Meanwhile, the BJP governments at the Centre and in the states remain focused on creating communal disharmony to divert public attention," he alleged.
These communal issues are deliberately manufactured in the media to benefit the BJP rather than people, Kharge said. He also said the BJP tries to mislead and misrepresent our achievements.
Kharge said another critical area that requires attention is voters' list management. He said the country faces a litany of issues today: the economy is in a shambles, the rich are getting richer, the poor becoming poorer, unemployment is at an all-time high and skyrocketing inflation has resulted in the lowest household savings in decades.