…then Congress will follow BJP’s strategy? Formula came out in Chintan Shivir, but that one thing is knocking the leaders

Expressing concern, he said that this formula will make Congress like BJP, which woos people on the basis of religion. However, leaders like Acharya Pramod and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel supported the proposal. He argued that the Congress’ reach could be inclusive where it would connect beyond caste and religious divides and would not copy the BJP’s strategy which focuses on one religion.

BJP taking quick decisions…reflecting on the failures in Congress, understand the difference between the two parties
Sources said senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi acted as mediator on the issue and coordinated the matter. Soft Hindutva has also been discussed vigorously in the Congress camp. One leader argued that the party should not be defensive on the issue of polarization and strongly criticized the BJP for its divisive politics.

50 percent reservation for SC-ST and OBC in Congress! Plan ready, just waiting for the seal of CWC, then announced
However, some members felt that the party should avoid outright aggression. Baghel argued that the Congress targets communalism exactly, it should go ahead with cultural linkage to the Hindus like the Congress is adopting many initiatives like religious tourism, cow protection and purchase of cow dung in Chhattisgarh. He also said that Madhya Pradesh leader Kamal Nath is also following the same policy and it has shown good results and he has been successful in keeping the BJP under control.

Big things of discussion inside Congress

• The Congress party can ensure 50 percent representation at every level in the organization for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and minority communities.
• In the ‘Navsankalp Chintan Shivir’, the Congress has taken a step towards changing its stand on the provision of ‘quota within quota’ regarding women’s reservation and has made up its mind to advocate reservation in the private sector as well.
• Congress took a pledge for ‘debt-free’ for the farmers and said that now the Minimum Support Price (MSP) should get legal right in the country and farmers’ welfare fund should also be established.
• It was also discussed whether organizational reforms should be done so that the party can send a message to the weaker sections. A member of the Coordination Committee on Social Justice of the Congress formed for the Chintan Shivir, K. Raju said that a proposal has come that a Social Justice Advisory Committee should be formed which will suggest what steps should be taken so that the trust of these sections can be won.
• The committee has recommended that the party should take a stand in favor of caste based census. He said that there is a need to enact a central law and state laws regarding the SC-ST ‘sub-plan’.
• A Congress leader said, “Jobs are getting reduced in the government sector. In such a situation, we are recommending to the party leadership that there should be reservation for SC, ST and OBC in private sector jobs also. He said that the Committee on Social Justice has also advocated for the provision of reservation for OBC category in Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies.
• The Women’s Reservation Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha during the UPA government, but due to opposition from many parties, it could not be passed in the Lok Sabha. On the change in the earlier stand on women’s reservation issue, senior Congress leader Kumari Selja said, “There was never any objection to this (quota within quota). At that time there was a coalition government. It was difficult to get everyone together. At that time we could not get it passed. should change with time. Today it is felt that this is how it should proceed.
• When asked whether the Congress was following the formula of social engineering, senior party leader Salman Khurshid said that social justice is done through social engineering.

(TOI reporter Subodh Ghildialwith language input)