Congress to review Kishor's 2024 plan at Udaipur in May

New Delhi: After its massive defeat in the five Assembly elections, the Congress is all set to hold a brainstorming session, or “Chintan Shivir”.  Sources in the party said the “Chintan Shivir” will be held from May 13 to 15 at a resort near Udaipur, where around 400 leaders will sit and deliberate on what the party lacks and what needs to be done to revive its electoral fortunes. It was decided at the Congress Working Committee meeting last month to hold such a brainstorming session to find out the reasons for its defeat in election after election. This brainstorming session will be the first in nine years; the last one was held in 2013 in Jaipur.

Over the past several days, the Congress’ top brass has held a number of meetings with senior leaders and political strategist Prashant Kishor. Mr Kishor has made a presentation to the party leadership with a roadmap for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Congress president Sonia Gandhi has formed a small committee to look into the contours of the presentation and to give her a report. This report will also be discussed with broad parameters during the brainstorming session in Udaipur next month.

Sources said that the meeting with Mrs Gandhi and other leaders, Mr Kishor had stressed that the Congress must target up to 370 to 400 Lok Sabha seats out of the total 543 for 2024, and work on alliances wherever the party was weak.

In the past few weeks, the Congress has been under attack from outside the party as well as within. The leadership has been questioned over its ability to lead in the present circumstances. Since the electoral debacle, the Congress high command has been on an overdrive. Several key meetings have taken place, plans have been formulated and committees have also been set up. This coming Chintan Shivir session in Udaipur is just part of the process, and is expected to take it forward.