Congress leaders will face crackdown after Raipur meet

NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is set to crack the whip against the party’s “erring” office-bearers. As soon as the party’s plenary session ends, a massive shakeup of the organisation is expected. The session is due to be held from February 24 to 26 in Raipur, and is likely to see the ratification of the election of the new president. Mr Kharge was elected party president in October. At the last steering committee meetings, the party chief had made it amply clear that the responsibility will be fixed on people who are in key positions and fail to deliver. Several state in-charges and state unit chiefs are in the line of fire after their abysmal performance in their respective states. The Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi state unit chiefs are likely to be replaced.

The abysmal performance of the party in the MCD elections has put the Delhi unit chief in a tight spot. It is the same case in Gujarat after the Assembly elections. In Maharashtra, the internal strife within the party may not augur well for the state chief. The AICC in-charges of states may also move out, specially those who have not been able to deliver.

The Congress president is keen that in the coming nine Assembly polls, the Congress should try and win as many states as possible. The “Hath Se Hath Jodo” campaign, in which the party cadre will go to every booth with a chargesheet against the Narendra Modi government, is also a part of the plan. The implementation of this programme is being monitored closely and any laxity will be dealt sternly by the AICC.

Meanwhile, for the upcoming session in Raipur, the party has already constituted a drafting committee headed by Mr Jairam Ramesh. It has also constituted five sub-groups -- political affairs, international affairs, economic affairs, agriculture affairs and youth and employment. They will present their reports after the session’s deliberations. The Congress is going to use the occasion to start its poll campaign in the state.  The state goes to the polls in December this year. The party hopes to repeat its performance in Chhattisgarh. On the last day of the session, a mega rally will be organised in Naya Raipur. Besides the Congress president, senior leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra may address the rally which is being organised by the state unit.