The five-day-long "Manthan" program, held as part of the Jharkhand Congress's Organization Creation Year-2025 initiative, has concluded. However, as the discussions come to an end, a crucial question now arises within the party: what benefits, or "nectar," has the party extracted from this deep contemplation, and whether any form of "poison" has also emerged from this internal assessment. The outcomes of this brainstorming session will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the party’s organizational structure and electoral strategy.
For the first time in Jharkhand Congress’s history, an in-depth five-day discussion of this scale was conducted, during which the state in-charge, K. Raju, put forward some significant observations. He openly acknowledged that one of the primary reasons for the party’s underwhelming performance in both the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections was the weakness of the party's organizational framework. Additionally, he pointed out the lack of mutual coordination between the party structure and the government as another contributing factor. In light of this realization, he emphasized that a stronger alignment between the Congress organization and the government is essential to ensure better electoral performance in the future.
Over the course of five days, the Jharkhand Congress's Manthan program consisted of ten different sessions, where key discussions took place regarding the party’s restructuring. K. Raju, an experienced administrator and a close associate of senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, presented a comprehensive plan to build and strengthen the party’s presence at the grassroots level. A major decision taken during this program was to establish Congress committees not just at the state and district levels but also at the village and ward levels. These committees will not merely be symbolic; they will be assigned specific responsibilities, and their activities will be continuously monitored to ensure efficiency and accountability.
A significant takeaway from these discussions was the consensus that the party's weak organizational strength was a major reason behind its disappointing performance in the elections. Congress spokesperson Sonal Shanti, also known as Rinku Tiwari, stated that during the brainstorming sessions, it was widely agreed that the party's weak internal structure and ineffective leadership during elections resulted in Congress not securing as many seats as expected. Furthermore, during these deliberations, certain individuals who failed to actively participate and contribute to the election campaign were identified. Action will soon be taken against those who did not fulfill their responsibilities, reinforcing the party’s commitment to accountability.
Jharkhand Congress’s state media in-charge, Rakesh Sinha, described the five-day Manthan program as highly productive. He expressed confidence that the insights and strategies developed during these discussions would help in significantly strengthening the Congress organization, from the Panchayat level to the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC). He emphasized the importance of the interdependence between power and organization, stating that a well-structured and strong organization is the foundation of electoral success, while political power, in turn, helps to reinforce and expand the organization.
Furthermore, Sinha highlighted the crucial role the Congress organization must play in the coming years. He stated that it is the responsibility of the party’s network to effectively communicate and deliver the government’s public welfare schemes to the people. This will be a key focus for the Congress party over the next five years, ensuring that the party remains deeply connected with the public and prepares itself for future electoral battles.
As the Congress party in Jharkhand moves forward from this intense self-evaluation, all eyes will be on the implementation of the proposed strategies and whether they lead to the much-needed revival of the party’s electoral prospects.
