Belagavi Extended CWC Meet Signals New Wave Of Congress Politics

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By Dr. Gyan Pathak

The Indian National Congress has postponed the grand convention – Jai Gandhi, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan – on the second day of the Extended Congress Working Committee Meet at Belagavi in Karnataka. Instead, a condolence meeting was held to mourn the sad demise of the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. But the CWC and the party leaders were seen fiercely committed to the movement protecting the Constitution of India, an indication that signals a new wave of Congress politics in the country.

As per the original schedule, the Congress was to launch the 'Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan Abhiyan' with a rally in Belagavi on the concluding two days of the Extended CWC meet (December 26-27) on December 27. This movement was scheduled to culminate in a rally at Mhow on the 2025 Republic Day, commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Constitution coming into force and the founding of the Republic of India. Nevertheless, the Congress will continue its protests against alleged threats to the Constitution of India by those who are in power, as the Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi indicated.

The party rank and file would organize rallies and marches during this month not only at the national level but also in every state, district and block levels across the country. The Belagavi meet was organized to commemorate 100 years of the Belagavi Congress Convention held in 1924 to mark Mahatma Gandhi's historic presidency of the INC when India was under British rule. It also happened to be the 75th anniversary of the Constitution coming into force and the founding of the Republic of India. On Republic Day, 2025, India would enter the 75th year of the Republic, for which Congress has decided to launch a massive nationwide public outreach campaign called the Samvidhan Bachao Rashtriya Padayatra.

The Padayatra will be from village to village, township to township in the form of a relay, the details of which will be announced shortly. The AICC session to be held in Gujarat in the first half of April 2025 will also be a crucial event not only for the party but also for politics in the country in general, since the Congress is currently the chief opposition party, as also leading the opposition INDIA bloc.

It is worth noting that the INDIA bloc is undergoing certain strain from within. Some leaders have expressed their view that the leadership of the India bloc must be shifted from the Congress to Mamata Banerjee, and AAP Supremo Arvind Kejriwal has even demanded the ouster of Congress from the India bloc. However, things will depend on the outcome of the Delhi election scheduled to be held in February 2025.

In the meantime, Congress will intensify its campaign against the threat to the Gandhi's and Ambedkar's legacy from 'those in power', the Union Government led by PM Narendra Modi and the RSS-BJP family. Union Minister of Home Amit Shah's recent parliamentary comment on Ambedkar, denigrating him has given opportunity to the Congress and other opposition parties to launch protests against Shah and the Union Government. Congress has vowed to preserve, protect and promote the legacy of Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, and the sanctity of the Constitution of India.

The forthcoming 13 months in the country will be politically sensitive because of the Congress-BJP political wrestling on the issue of Gandhi, Ambedkar, and the Constitution of India, which is quite different from the communal politics of the last one decade. Continuous emphasis on the Constitution, Ambedkar and Gandhi is sure to work on the minds of the electorate in the country, which may weaken the strength of the Hindutva political sentiments in favour of secularism and social justice. If it happens, it would mark the beginning of a new phase.

The Extended CWC meet has some other features to be noted. The CWC termed Amit Shah's denigration of Dr Ambedkar in Parliament as the RSS-BJP's decades-long project to undermine the Constitution. The CWC reiterated the demand for the Union Home Minister's resignation and an apology to the nation. CWC also highlighted degradation of democracy. Institutions, such as the judiciary, the Election Commission, and the media have been politicised through executive pressure, it said, adding that the Constitution's federal structure continues to be under attack, most recently from the Government's 'One Nation, One Election' bill.

The CWC condemned the Centre's amendment of the Conduct of Election Rules 1961, undermining the principles of transparency and accountability. The amendment has already been challenged in the Supreme Court of India. Congress leaders have raised their suspicion of something wrong done by the Election Commission during the recent Haryana and Maharashtra election, eroding the integrity of the electoral process.

The Congress suffered shocking defeats in both Haryana and Maharashtra, and the party is trying hard to come out of the shock. The latest stance of the CWC and the statements of the Congress leadership clearly shows that they have to overcome the shock defeats and launch an intensive movement against the ruling establishment for at least the next 13 months.

The CWC highlighted the state-sponsored increase in communal and ethnic hatred, particularly targeted against minority communities. It referred to the Manipur violence and emphasised the indifference of the Prime Minister and his government. Communal tensions and violations of the provisions of the Places of Worship Act 1991 were also referred to.

Another politically sensitive demand of the CWC is for a socio-economic caste census, and for an increase of 50 percent ceiling on reservation. On the economic front, the CWC demanded relief to the middle class and the poor of the country in the forthcoming Union Budget. The Congress also demanded an end to tax terrorism on industry, trade and commerce. The Union government was also criticized for blatant neglect of agriculture and rural employment.

The way CWC highlighted the electrifying impact on the Congress's political fortune of the Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra of 2022, is indicative of their strong willingness to carry out the intensive movements and outreach programmes in 2025, which has potential to rejuvenate the Congress organization from top to bottom. (IPA Service )

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