Mumbai: Mumbai Congress’ initiative “Shakti” is one of the party’s first national level experiments to improve the system of communication both within and outside the party. Highly-placed sources said that the Congress has launched a pilot project in Mumbai and will test it for a few months and then launch the improved version nationwide.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi launched the “Shakti” communication programme in Mumbai on Tuesday. This is aimed at directly connecting the Congress president with booth-level workers through exclusive communication channels. With this, booth-level workers will be able to write in to the party leadership with their grievances or suggestions and get replies. The programme will ensure that the city president and other concerned leaders remain well informed about ground-level issues.
Sources said that it was Mr Gandhi’s wish to improve communication channels at all levels and that in a bid to transform the grand old party, Mr Gandhi was trying to empower booth-level workers in the overall party structure. Sources also said that Mr Gandhi had asked his close aides and the party’s communication cell to prepare a programme on these lines.
A key person involved in the process said that Shakti was the first part of that chain. “It is a technology-driven programme. Every booth worker with a smart phone in his/her hand will be connected to the city chief as well as the AICC now. Mumbai is the most connected city of the country, so we are launching this programme in this city.” he said.
Sources also said that Congress will try to widen the scope of the scheme once they get success in Mumbai. “There will be two way improvement. One intra-party betterment on nationwide level and second will be reaching out to masses in most transformative way. Our social media team is doing it brilliantly. But we will try to reach people who are not that active on social media also in innovative ways.”
