Reviving Congress: Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi reach out to grassroots

New Delhi:  Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi are reaching out to the party’s “grassroots” workers by asking them for suggestions on how to revive the party, whose secular plank is alienating the majority, while the middle class, the product of the Congress’ economic reforms, have become fans of the BJP’s Narendra Modi.

While Mrs Gandhi has written letters to party general secretaries and PCC chiefs asking them to seek the views of the district and tehsil committees, Mr Rahul Gandhi has already asked AICC general secretaries to undertake a similar exercise and give a report by February-end. The AICC meeting is expected in March.

The Congress’ organisation has remained weak in the last 10 years despite the party being in power at the Centre and in key states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi.

In fact, attempts to demolish regional leaders who used to work as a link between the high command and the grassroots workers and the promotion of “lightweight” loyalists and relatives of big leaders went against the party in the elections.

The feedback could help the party prepare a blueprint for its revival, which is expected to be discussed at the AICC meeting, sources said.

After his direct interaction with more than 400 party leaders following debacles in the Lok Sabha and state Assembly polls, Mr Gandhi is optimistic that this exercise will help rejuvenate the organisation.