The recent drubbing in the State Assembly polls has rung alarm bells in the Congress prompting its leaders to go on an overdrive to conduct an overhaul of the organisational structure. Sensing that it may have lost the grip over party workers, the Congress has undertaken an effort to get first-hand account of activities being undertaken by its leaders at the ground level.
Party seniors at Congress’s Akbar Road headquarters have prepared a pro forma seeking the minutest details from its leaders on organisational matters like number of sittings from block to district level, presence of party workers and their points of discussion. This report has to be submitted directly to party vice-president Rahul Gandhi by 10th of every month.
A ‘confidential’ note has been circulated to all the AICC Secretaries asking them to submit their monthly reports in the prescribed pro forma to Rahul through the General Secretaries with whom they are attached.
The decision for monthly feedback and further assessment on the reports was taken by Rahul who after his numerous meetings in recent months across the country felt that the spirit of grassroot workers which the party enjoyed over the years has eroded in recent times.
The detailing sought every month has to be “treated with as most important” and wherein they have to also specify “any other concerns” with respect to the organisation. It makes it clear that the concern should be expressed only related to the party and there has to be no remarks/comments for or against the Government, irrespective of the political party it belongs to.
To tighten the noose around the AICC Secretaries and General Secretaries of the in-charge States, it has been made mandatory for them to attend the District and Block level meetings at least once a month. They have to specify in the tabulated format certain things like - count of District and Block Congress’ monthly meetings that took place and number of people including the presence of Secretary and General Secretary.
“The next two important meetings, with the Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states and General Secretaries in-charge, and the AICC session, will discuss this data collected to develop future strategy. This will be a helping hand for Rahul and his war room,” party sources said.
After the party’s humiliating loss in the just concluded Assembly polls, Rahul had said that he will work with leaders to transform the organisation and hinted at taking a leaf out from the AAP’s stylebook of politics with the focus on involvement of people.