Congress concedes defeat even before elections, honor fell at the hands of Sonia Gandhi on 137th Foundation Day
New Delhi: The Indian National Congress (INC) is celebrating its 137th Foundation Day on Tuesday, hoping to regain its lost electoral ground ahead of the 2024 general elections. Top Congress leaders including interim president Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul and daughter Priyanka Vadra, former PM Manmohan Singh and several other national, state and district functionaries are attending the 137th Foundation Day celebrations at the party’s headquarters in the national capital. The ceremony was formally inaugurated by interim president Sonia Gandhi, who unfurled the party flag in the presence of senior leaders. However, as soon as he tried to hoist the party flag, the flag fell down. A video in which Sonia Gandhi was trying to hoist the party flag and finally the flag fell down. This video was shared by news agency ANI. (137th Foundation Day)
#WATCH , Congress flag falls off while being hoisted by party’s interim president Sonia Gandhi on the party’s 137th Foundation Day#Delhi pic.twitter.com/A03JkKS5aC
— ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2021
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Challenges before Congress
Having suffered defeats in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the assembly elections, the past year was also challenging for the Congress as it failed to win any elections in the states where elections were held. The party will emphasize its role as the principal opposition party to counter the BJP-led government on several issues of national importance. The party also faced factionalism in two major states – Punjab and Chhattisgarh. In Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh resigned as Chief Minister amid internal strife and has now floated his own party to contest the assembly elections in alliance with the BJP.
gearing up for 2024
The Congress is gearing up afresh for 2024 and hopes to build momentum by doing well in the coming assembly elections. The party is trying to put the BJP-led government on the back foot through nationwide agitations and demonstrations on issues like price rise. After its campaign on inflation and rally in Jaipur, Congress is now planning to raise the issue of unemployment and privatization of government companies. Sources said a nine-member committee, led by party stalwart Digvijay Singh, is preparing the roadmap for the protest campaigns on these issues. The committee also includes party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and party leader Ragini Nayak.
heavy rain program for congress workers
The Congress has also launched a massive training program with a target to produce around 5,500 trainers from state, district and block levels across the country. These trainers will take the message of the party to the ground through debates and discussions in the neighborhood shops including tea shops. The party is also considering taking the help of thinkers and historians in its training program and Aditya Mukherjee and Ram Punyani have been approached in this regard. The first such training program was organized in November this year at Wardha where a five-day camp was organized. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addressed the Wardha camp virtually. Party sources said that in the times to come, these trainers will expand the cadre of party workers across the country to actively raise pubic-related issues and the failures of the present government at the Centre.
Launched a missed call number to connect people (137th Foundation Day)
Congress is also going to launch a missed call number to connect people. With slogans like Jaat par na paat par, button dabega haath par, the Congress is also countering efforts by various parties to attract caste groups and linking the issue of unemployment and privatization of government companies to reservations. The party will try to reach out to the people that due to privatization, government jobs will be reduced and the benefits of reservation will end. Apart from public relations campaigns, Congress has also organized bullock cart rallies and tractor yatras to attract public and media attention. According to sources, the Congress is preparing pamphlets in local languages to publicize the efforts of its rivals to talk about facts related to Veer Savarkar and the alleged tension between India’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and the country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. has been Congress is also trying to increase its vote share by reaching out to various sections including women and unorganized workers. The party will also get a new president at the culmination of its organizational elections in the coming year. (137th Foundation Day)
