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Sonia pledges to rejuvenate, revamp Congress

Sonia Gandhi has pledged to revive the Congress and inject a new direction, meaningful vision and grassroot-level thrust into the 113-year-old party.

Delivering her maiden speech at the special session of the All India Congress Committee that formally anointed her as the party's unquestioned leader on Monday, she said her top priority would be to restore power to Congressmen at the village and panchayat levels.

Earlier, ousted Congress president Sitaram Kesri endorsed the March 14 Congress Working Committee resolution, removing him as the party chief. ''Soniaji, please come and rescue the Congress,'' Kesri thundered as the 1,200-odd AICC members from across the country ratified her elevation as the new party president.

Former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao, all the CWC members and state presidents sat on the stage, listening to Sonia's plans for the Congress revival.

Mixing Hindi and English and profusely quoting her late husband Rajiv Gandhi during her 45-minute-long speech, Sonia did not utter a word about or against the Bharatiya Janata Party government.

Paying rich tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, she recalled what Rajiv had once said, ''What has become of this great Congress organisation?

''Our numbers in Parliament have dwindled and our support base among dalits, scheduled castes and tribes and minorities have considerably declined. We are now in danger of losing our prime position as the national party.''

Saying that the role ideology played in the everyday life of the Congress leaders has diminished, Sonia said her main task as party president would be to infuse faith and credibility in the party organisations and to restore power to hard-working Congressmen in India's villages.

''The party's revival is going to be a long-drawn process. But it is the only path through which we can restore the party to its old glory,'' she said.

''Ours is the most venerated and representative party because it is present in every nook and corner of the country. The Congress is the true political mirror in India. Ours is the only party that excludes none and includes all.''

She said it is time genuine party leadership emerged from the grassroots. ''We have millions of educated men and women in the country. It is my mission to attract and promote youth within the party.''

The Congress chief announced that she would immediately revamp the frontal organisations to arrest further decline of the party and to reverse its electoral reverses.

''I have already set up committees to study why the party fared very badly in some states in the election. I will act upon the findings of these committees and make the necessary changes in the state units,'' she stated.

Sonia said she would give more representation to women within the party. Saying that giving real responsibility to women is the need of the hour, she said the party will fight for the reservation of women in Parliament and legislative assemblies.

Warning that ''indiscipline will have no place in our party'', she said the Congress Working Committee, the AICC and district Congress committees will be pruned soon.

Sonia also had a piece of advice for party MPs and MLAs. Asking them to travel among the people, she said they should 'live and move' among the common people in their constituencies. ''I want our MPs and MLAs to travel among the people to know and solve their problems every month,'' she said.

She announced the setting up of three committees -- the first to oversee and review how party programmes reach the people, the second to help MPs prepare for debates in Parliament and to draft important bills and the third to interact with scholars, businessmen and opinion-makers.

The Congress chief lashed out at the National Students Union of India, the Youth Congress and the Seva Dal. She said these frontal organisations have become self-perpetuating, closed groups. For many, these youth wings are stepping stones for political careers, she complained.

Stating that the Congress would hold camps to revitalise the party, Sonia urged the leaders to be transparent about the party's finances and accounts. She wanted all Congress officials to contribute a portion of their income to the party and file their personal income details to the high command.

The Congress president said that the economic liberalisation programmes were started by her husband and successfully carried forward by Rao. ''It should be the Congress endeavour to target seven to eight per cent economic growth for the country and ensure that economic reforms reach the destitute and poor in society,'' she said, adding that the party in office should not betray the people.

''Let us dedicate ourselves to mobilise, guide and stand by the side of common people across the country,'' she concluded, urging the AICC delegates to begin the politics of service to the people.

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