The Congress Working Committee (CWC) commenced its pivotal meeting on Monday, focusing on the party's strategy for the forthcoming assembly elections and the nationwide caste census. In preparation for both the assembly and Lok Sabha elections. Discussing the concept of a caste census, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi emphasized that this 'X-ray' is essential for ushering in a new paradigm and fostering development in the country.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said, "After coming to power in 2024, we will implement women's reservation while ensuring political participation of OBC women," at the meeting.
The party also released their resolution for the meeting where they expressed condolences for the flood-affected people in Sikkim and North Bengal. The other points of the resolution include the results of the Bihar caste census and the importance of conducting a census nationwide. They also spoke against the raids being conducted on the opposition leaders while allegedly covering up scams that include the names of Bharatiya Janata Party leaders.
What did Mallikarjun Kharge Say at CWC meeting?
During a significant gathering of Congress Working Committee (CWC) members, he reiterated the call for a nationwide caste census, emphasizing the importance of ensuring social justice and rights for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in proportion to their population. He pointed out that the BJP has remained quiet on this matter.
For proper share in welfare schemes, it is important to have socio-economic data on the condition of weaker sections of society and ensure social justice to them, he asserted.
The Congress president also said the Congress would implement women's reservation if voted to power in 2024.
While asking party leaders to expedite efforts to highlight government failures, he said they must immediately counter the "false propaganda" of the ruling BJP as such attacks and falsehood would increase as elections approach.
"As we approach the upcoming assembly elections and general elections, it is important that the party works with meticulous coordination and complete discipline and unity," he said at the meeting.
Kharge also underlined the need for an effective strategy for assembly polls in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, MP, Telangana, Mizoram.
What did Rahul Gandhi say?
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the party's working committee has taken a "historic decision" unanimously to support the idea of a nationwide caste census, asserting that it is a "powerful step" for the emancipation of the poor.
Addressing a press conference after a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), Gandhi expressed confidence that a vast majority of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) parties will support and push for a caste census.
If any party has a different opinion, the Congress is flexible, "not fascist", he added.
Flanked by the party's chief ministers in four states, Gandhi also said the decision of the CWC to support a caste census is a "very progressive" and "powerful" step for the emancipation of poor people.
Discussing the concept of a caste census, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi emphasized that this 'X-ray' is essential for ushering in a new paradigm and fostering development in the country.
Why was the CWC meeting called?
The meeting comes on a day when the Election Commission will announce the dates for the assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram.
Along with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, chief ministers of all the Congress-ruled states and other top leaders began deliberations on election preparedness and narratives across the poll-bound states.
The party held extensive discussions on its firm pitch for a nationwide caste census and its implications.
There are concerns within the Congress with respect to the articulation of its demand for the caste census, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently accusing the opposition party of attempting to divide Hindus through its push for the Other Backward Classes (OBC).
The Congress is seeking to retain its governments in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan and hoping to wrest power from BJP in Madhya Pradesh, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana and Mizo National Front (MNF) in Mizoram.
The CWC meet comes at a time when some opposition leaders are facing heat from central probe agencies and the latest in a series of arrests is of AAP's Sanjay Singh in the Delhi excise policy case.
The Congress has condemned Singh's arrest but also pointed to similar action against its leaders in Punjab by the AAP government there, the latest being the arrest of its farmers' wing head Sukhpal Khaira in a drugs-related case.
The chief ministers of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, besides the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leaders in the five poll-bound states, will attend the CWC meet.
The first meeting of the reconstituted CWC was held in Hyderabad on September 16 to evolve a strategy for the assembly polls in the five states and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
