CWC: Kharge on election defeat- How long will state units remain dependent on national leaders?
#News Bureau November 30,2024
Regarding the electoral defeat, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has clearly said that the state units of the party should not depend on national leaders and national issues. He said on Friday that the party will have to focus on state level issues in addition to national issues in the assembly elections and learn to convert the mood into victory.
Kharge said, ‘We have lost the elections, but there is no doubt that unemployment, inflation and economic inequality are burning issues. Caste census is also an important issue today. Issues like constitution, social justice and harmony are people’s issues. But this does not mean that we forget important local issues in the electoral states. It is also important to understand the different issues of the states in detail and make a solid campaign strategy around them in time. How long will you contest state elections with the help of national issues and national leaders?’
Kharge claimed that the atmosphere was in Congress’ favour in the assembly elections, but he said, ‘Having an atmosphere in its favour does not guarantee victory. We have to learn to convert the atmosphere into results. What is the reason that we are not able to take advantage of the atmosphere? We need to learn immediately from the election results and remove all our weaknesses and shortcomings at the organisational level. These results are a message for us.’
Kharge said, ‘The most important thing that I keep saying is that lack of unity and rhetoric against each other harms us a lot. Unless we fight the elections unitedly and stop rhetoric against each other, how will we be able to defeat our opponents politically? Therefore, it is important that we strictly follow discipline. We have to remain united in every situation.’
The Congress president said the party will have to formulate a strategy in time, strengthen the organisation up to the booth level and remain vigilant, cautious and alert day and night from the preparation of the voter list to the counting of votes. He said,
Our preparations from the beginning till the counting of votes should be such that our workers and the system work with full dedication. In many states, our organization is not living up to expectations. Our biggest need is to strengthen the organization.
Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress President
Kharge was speaking at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in New Delhi. These words of his came out from the initial speeches. The CWC meeting lasted for about four and a half hours. After the meeting, the Congress passed a resolution. The resolution passed in the CWC was shared in a press conference after the meeting. It said that mainly three national issues were discussed.
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said that the Congress Working Committee met today in the midst of the winter session of Parliament. This session has so far failed due to the Modi government’s stubbornness in refusing to immediately discuss three important national issues. Venugopal said that the recent revelations about corruption committed by the business group with the closest relationship to the Prime Minister, the ongoing violence in Manipur and the Prime Minister’s shirking of all responsibility by not visiting the troubled state even once since May 2023 and the systematic efforts of the BJP to incite communal tension in various states are the three major national issues.
The statement issued by the party said, “The Congress Working Committee thanks the people of Jharkhand for the decisive mandate given to the JMM, Congress and other All India parties. They have completely rejected the dangerously divisive and poisonous polarization campaign of the BJP run by the Prime Minister, the Union Home Minister, the Chief Minister of Assam and the former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. The Congress Working Committee thanks the people of Jammu and Kashmir for reposing faith in the NC-Congress alliance in such a clear manner. While acknowledging that our own performance should have been better, our party will continue to press for the restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.”
Discussion on Haryana, Maharashtra results
The statement issued by the party said that the Congress Working Committee also accepts that the party’s performance in Haryana has been contrary to all expectations. It said, ‘In very simple words, the Congress should have formed the government in the state with a huge margin, but it did not happen. But there have been electoral irregularities that have affected the results in the state, which have been ignored. The Congress Working Committee also accepts that the performance of the party in Maharashtra, and indeed the performance of its MVA allies, is beyond comprehension and indeed shocking. The election results are beyond common understanding.’
The statement said, ‘This clearly appears to be a case of targeted manipulation. The Congress Working Committee is confident that the Congress President will soon complete a detailed state-wise review and take necessary action, especially with regard to organisational matters. These matters need immediate attention at the AICC level and in all states.
The statement also said, ‘The CWC believes that the integrity of the entire electoral process is being seriously compromised. Free and fair elections are a constitutional mandate, which is being brought into serious question by the partisan functioning of the Election Commission. Increasing sections of society are becoming frustrated and deeply apprehensive. Congress will take up these public concerns as a national movement.
