One issue on which there was a lot of debate, even disagreement, during the Congress' Chintan Shivir in Udaipur is the question of alliances.
The final outcome reflected the differences within.
On one hand, the Udaipur Declaration released at the end of the Shivir, says that the Congress is open to engaging with like-minded parties for the purpose of electoral alliances.
On the other hand, in his closing address former Congress president Rahul Gandhi attacked regional parties at length.
This article will look at three aspects.
1. What Rahul Gandhi said on regional parties?
2. What does the declaration say?
3. What transpired at the Chintan Shivir on the issue of alliances?
What Rahul Gandhi Said on Regional Parties
"It's not an easy battle. This battle can't be fought by a regional party. Because this is a battle between ideas - RSS' ideology is fighting against Congress' ideology"
"BJP never talks of regional parties, they only talk of Congress. Because BJP knows regional parties can't defeat them as they don't have an ideology."
"Regional parties often represent a caste group. They don't represent everyone."
"Even regional parties would not tolerate the conversation we've just had (at the Chintan Shivir)".
What Does the Udaipur Declaration Say?
In the Udaipur Declaration released at the end of the Chintan Shivir, the Congress said:
"While the Indian National Congress wants to establish ground strength every where based on its organisational capacity, for the sake of nationalism and defence of democracy, we are committed to establish dialogue with all like-minded parties and based on circumstances, it will keep the avenues open for alliances".
The Udaipur declaration needs to be seen as a balancing act between the Pachmarhi Declaration (1998) that prioritised strengthening Congress organisationally and the Shimla Declaration (2003) that said that Congress should strike alliances to defeat the BJP.
What Transpired At the Chintan Shivir Regarding Alliances
There were was intense discussion at the political issues committee regarding alliances.
One set of leaders said that the focus should be on strengthening the party organisation, rather than ceding space to regional parties.
A related proposal was to have alliances at the assembly election level but go it alone at the national level.
"There are three kinds of states broadly: First in which the Congress is in direct contest with the BJP. Second, where third players are involved. And third where Congress is a marginal player. The question of alliances can be decided based on the circumstances in each state," a senior party leader, among the G-23 signatories, said.
AAP featured prominently in the discussion and leaders overwhelmingly felt that the party represented a major threat to the Congress.
A few leaders from Bihar said that it was in the Congress' long term interests to establish its individual identity in the state and that the bases of the Congress and RJD were not entirely compatible.
The leaders from Telangana were categorical in opposing any truck with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi in the state. One section of leaders from Andhra Pradesh said that the party should consider engaging with the YSRCP in the state. Regarding a truck with either the Trinamool Congress or the Left in Bengal or going it alone, opinion was divided in the party.
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