In a significant move to strengthen its grassroots organization ahead of the upcoming All India Congress Committee (AICC) session in Ahmedabad, the Congress on Friday concluded a three-phase interaction with District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents, vowing to empower them with more authority, responsibility, and accountability.
The final session, held at Indira Gandhi Bhawan, saw Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, AICC General Secretary (Organization) KC Venugopal, and other senior leaders engage directly with DCC chiefs from across the country. &nbsp;State unit chiefs and AICC in-charges from Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Mumbai, Madhya Pradesh, Chandigarh, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, and Delhi&nbsp;were also present.
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Over the course of the engagement, a total of 862 DCC presidents&nbsp;participated, along with state unit chiefs, AICC in-charges, and general secretaries.
&ldquo;We are going to give a lot of power to the DCCs. With greater power comes increased responsibility and accountability,&rdquo; said Pawan Khera, head of the party&rsquo;s media and publicity department. &ldquo;Their performance will be evaluated&mdash;whether voting percentages increased or decreased in their districts during panchayat, local body, or assembly elections will be taken into account.&rdquo;
Khera also confirmed that DCCs would have a greater role in candidate selection, marking a shift towards decentralized decision-making.
In his opening address, Kharge underlined the importance of year-round electoral preparedness and urged district leaders to step up their outreach. &ldquo;Congress must continue its fight against the anti-people and anti-Constitution ideology of the BJP-RSS. The government avoids discussing issues like inflation, unemployment, and economic failure, and instead focuses on communal polarization,&rdquo; he said. He called on DCCs to closely monitor voter list verification&nbsp;and ensure electoral integrity&nbsp;in their respective districts.
Rahul Gandhi, addressing the gathering, said the party cannot thrive without strong district units. &ldquo;The DCCs are the backbone of the Congress. Without your contribution, we cannot build a stronger party or a fairer India,&rdquo; he told the presidents.
As part of the deliberations, six presentations&nbsp;were made, including strategies from the media and social media departments, a detailed overview of the organizational structure by Sasikanth Senthil, and a plan on asset utilization&nbsp;at the district level by Vijay Inder Singla.
Venugopal, speaking at a press conference after the session, said the party had entered a new phase of internal reform. &ldquo;This is the first time in two decades&nbsp;that such direct and extensive interaction has taken place between the party leadership and DCCs. We are setting up a regular communication system&nbsp;to ensure continued engagement,&rdquo; he said.
The DCC meetings come just days ahead of the AICC session in Ahmedabad on April 8&ndash;9, which will mark a moment of historical resonance. The session, themed &lsquo;Nyaypath: Sankalp, Samarpan, and Sangharsh&rsquo;, will coincide with the 100th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi&rsquo;s election as Congress President&nbsp;and the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
The Congress Working Committee is scheduled to meet on April 8&nbsp;at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Memorial, followed by the full AICC session on April 9, which will be attended by around 1,725 members, including MPs, ministers, and senior leaders.
The party has declared 2024&ndash;25 as the Year of Organizational Strengthening, a resolution passed during its Belagavi convention earlier this year.
(With agency input)

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April 5, 2025 | 09:16 IST