Party to discuss emergence of new parties, polarisation and giving representation to youth in polls.
Mangalore has become a hotbed of activity as the Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi is set to visit the city on Thursday to meet with the party leaders.
The city is wearing a festive mood for the first time perhaps in two decades on account of the Congress, otherwise it was always the BJP and the Sangh Parivar who used to take the cake in turning the city into a place of political carnival. For the first time also, large hoardings of Congress leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi filled the city’s main roads while the main traffic intersections are filled with banners and buntings, screaming about the existence of the Congress in this BJP bastion.
But behind the facade of celebration of arrival of their top leader, the Congress in Karnataka is seeking solutions to the various political issues. Also, it is taking into consideration the emergence of new political parties the state, particularly B Sriramulu’s BSR Congress, radically liberal People’s Front of India and the yet-to-be-born party of BS Yeddyurappa.
“Yes, we are looking at that angle, but we are not concerned about the external threat. We are at work for strengthening the core of our party in Karnataka, realignment of our ranks—particularly on a wide socio-political canvas—less emphasis on caste and community aspects. We are aware that the emerging political arena in the next assembly elections as well as the parliamentary elections will be different, certain level of polarisation will take place, which phase will be very challenging,” said KPCC president G Parameshwara.
This time, the Congress is looking at the BJP and the JDS in the event of polarisation. “These two parties had their political stints in one of the most unlikely and unholy alliances that ever happened in the Indian political history. But in the coming political scenario, such nexuses will not hold water. Political leaders will rather opt to join other parties. The failure of the BJP in Karnataka is an indication that half-baked political ideologies and political masks will not work anymore in the state,” Parameshwara said.
Issues to be raised
The party session to be held on Thursday will be a trend setter. Five party workers—one of them a woman—will air their views in front of the AICC president and senior Congress leaders. It is likely that the issue of giving representation to the youth in elections will surface.
The party leaders have already had a round of talks with the youth leaders in the state who have worked in Youth Congress and were ready to take up active roles in party-building as well as policy-making at the state and national levels. The party elders were seriously considering Rahul Gandhi’s views on inducting youth in the party’s election plans. However, the party will not divulge the numbers of youth to be given tickets.
Several local issues on railways, fishermen, arecanut growers and poverty alleviation will also be on the agenda, which will be advised by the KPCC president and the district presidents of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kasargod to Sonia Gandhi.
She will also inaugurate Dasara festivities in the coastal town.
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