The Congress on Saturday announced it plans to raise the representation of Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and minorities to 50 per cent at all levels of the organization.
The party also held discussions on only two terms of Rajya Sabha per Congress leader. The discussion comes at the backdrop of party deciding over one family one ticket with exceptions to facilitate members from Congress first family to contest the elections.
A decision on representation of SC/ST/OBC was taken by the panel on social justice and empowerment formed by party chief Sonia Gandhi to lead discussions on this issue at the Congress' three-day 'Nav Sankalp Chintan Shivir'. Senior party leader K Raju said it is likely to be recommended for approval of the Congress Working Committee.
Raju said the panel is also likely to propose establishing a social justice advisory council to the Congress president.
This advisory council will look at issues and give recommendations to the president, he said.
A member privy to the discussions on limiting RÃ jya Sabha term said there is a proposal before panel that two Rajya Sabha terms per Congress leader needs to be fixed. After that they can contest in Lok Sabha or assembly elections, but they shouldn’t be considered for third term in Rajya Sabha. Not just Rajya Sabha term, there is a proposal that tenure of all office bearers from the block and district levels to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) should be fixed for five years. This should be followed by a cooling period of three years.
Sources said that after the completion of the tenure, office bearers will have to resign or vacate their post for other leaders.