Manipur, inflation and INDIA bloc in focus of Congress' key meet

New Delhi: The newly-reconstituted Congress Working Committee (CWC) will prepare the party for the upcoming assembly and Lok Sabha polls, and highlight a raft of raging issues — political, economic and social — to bolster the party’s election campaign, a Congress leader said on Friday.

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The CWC will deliberate on recent developments in the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) , where the Congress is a key constituent, and address the ongoing violence in Manipur, the border situation with China, rising prices, unemployment and other issues in the two-day long meeting at Hyderabad starting on Saturday, a Congress leader added.

The CWC might also discuss the second phase of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which is likely to start in January next year, said a Congress leader. The yatra will connect Porbandar and the Northeast, but the schedule and routes are yet to be decided.

With roughly seven months left for the national elections, the top executive body of the Congress has its task cut out. The CWC meeting also comes ahead of polls this winter in five states —Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram — which are dubbed as the semi-finals for the Lok Sabha polls in April-May 2024.

“This is the first meeting of the newly-constituted CWC. 84 of 90 leaders will attend the CWC meeting on Saturday. CWC will have a discussion on election preparations. After three meetings of the INDIA alliance, the country’s situation has changed. The real alternative is INDIA alliance. Certainly, the Lok Sabha preparations will be discussed,” Congress general secretary KC Venugopal announced in Hyderabad. On Sunday, 147 members of the extended CWC will meet.

Venugopal also said the upcoming assembly polls, the Manipur situation, Chinese aggression at the Line of Actual Control, and issues such as price rise and unemployment will be discussed.

“This CWC will discuss election preparations. As you know, polls are due in Telangana, MP, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan (and Mizoram). We are very sure the Congress is going to form government in all five states, including Telangana,” the Congress general secretary said.

Venugopal said that after three meetings of INDIA, the country’s situation has changed and people find the Opposition group as the “real alternative”.

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Highlighting the Manipur issue, the Congress leader reiterated that for the past 130 days, Manipur continues to burn. “The PM opened his mouth on Manipur after 100 days and that too, in great difficulty. The Manipur government has sided with vested interests. Rahul Gandhi went there. We can’t explain the pain of the people,” he said.

The CWC will also discuss the recent violence in Jammu & Kashmir and communal clashes in Haryana . “Along with that, we are purposefully holding this CWC in Telangana. This meeting will be a game changer for Telangana politics,” said Venugopal.