Congress goes into overhaul mode; focus on district units
The Congress party will convene a three-day meeting with District Congress Committees (DCCs) from across the country in preparation for its All India Congress Committee (AICC) session, scheduled for April 8 and 9 in Ahmedabad. This meeting, the first of its kind in 15 years, aims to empower district units and place them at the core of the party’s organizational framework.
Congress general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, announced that DCC presidents will meet in three batches on March 27, 28, and April 3 at Indira Gandhi Bhawan in New Delhi.
"The meetings will focus on strengthening the district units and bringing them to the centre of the party’s organizational structure," Ramesh said. He noted that during the Belagavi Nav Satyagraha Sankalp in 2024, Congress had pledged to make 2025 the ‘Year of Strengthening the Organization’, and these meetings are part of that strategy.
Leadership reviews DCC empowerment plans
On Tuesday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi met with AICC general secretaries and state in-charges at the party headquarters to review plans to revitalize the DCCs.
Prominent leaders at the meeting included K C Venugopal, Ajay Maken, Bhupesh Baghel, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Ramesh Chennithala, Mukul Wasnik, Kumari Selja, Jitendra Singh, Sachin Pilot, Avinash Pande, Randeep Surjewala, and Deepa Dasmunshi.
According to sources, the leadership discussed a report by Mukul Wasnik on DCC empowerment. Key proposals included five-year terms for DCC presidents, prohibiting DCC chiefs from contesting elections for three years to prevent conflicts of interest and mandating regular consultations with DCCs on major political developments.
Historic AICC session in Gujarat
The April 8-9 AICC session in Ahmedabad will be the fourth to take place in Gujarat, following sessions in Surat (1907), Haripura (1938), and Bhavnagar (1961).
Speaking to media persons, Mukul Wasnik highlighted Gujarat's historical significance in India’s freedom struggle, recalling the Dandi March and Bardoli Satyagraha, which were key movements led by Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
"This year, the country will celebrate Sardar Patel’s 150th birth anniversary, making the Ahmedabad session even more meaningful," Wasnik said.
On April 8, an extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting will take place, where the AICC resolution will be discussed and finalized. The resolution will then be presented before the larger AICC session on April 9, Ramesh confirmed.