Congress Set To Call CWC Meet Ahead Of 'Chintan Shivir' To Chalk Future Strategy: Report

In a bid to improve the performance in the upcoming assembly elections, the grand old party has decided to call a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting ahead of the 'Chintan Shivir'.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi (L) with party leader Rahul Gandhi. (Image: AFP)

New Delhi: While Congress has said that a new president will be elected only after elections are held, the party is mulling the reasons for the debacle faced in the five state assembly polls held last month. 

In a bid to improve the performance in the upcoming state elections, the grand old party has decided to call a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting ahead of the 'Chintan Shivir' to chalk out the party's future strategy.

As decided in the last CWC meeting, the party to call a 'Chintan Shivir' to formulate a strategy for the course correction to reverse the trend of electoral defeats after the party's abysmal performance in the recently held Assembly polls in five states. The party is now in power in only two states of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and is part of the ruling coalition in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

"We are in the process of finalizing the dates venue and the matters to be taken into account in the 'Chintan Shivir' of the party" an ANI report quoted a senior party official. 

Several meetings have already been held for the preparation of the 'Chintan Shivir'. Senior leaders Ambika Soni, Jairam Ramesh, Mukul Wasnik, and party general secretary organization KC Venugopal are deliberating on the preparation of the 'Chintan Shivir' in the meeting held in the Congress War Room on Tuesday.

The ANI report also quoted a source who revealed that within two-three days the final proposal of the 'Chintan Shivir' like the agenda, dates and the venue will be worked out and a final nod will be given by the CWC.

With upcoming elections in Gujarat and Himachal at the end of the year, Congress is seriously considering that the venue should be in poll-bound states like Gujarat or Himachal Pradesh, said the report. 

Earlier, the party had called the meeting of the CWC on March 13 after the poll debacle in the five states in the meet it was decided that a 'Chintan Shivir' will be held to assess the defeat and to prepare the future road map for the party. Congress chief Sonia Gandhi also held deliberations with party leaders including those of the G23 who had been critical of the leadership and have demanded organisational overhaul.