Congress Sets Political Course at CWC Meet in Ahmedabad: Key Takeaways

NEW DELHI: On Tuesday, Congress leaders from all over India gathered in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, a state the party has not won in three decades, to strategize their next political steps over the next two days, April 8 and April 9.

The All India Congress Committee (AICC) will hold its 84th National Convention in Ahmedabad on April 8–9, marking the first time in 64 years Gujarat has hosted the event, following recent state election losses despite strong Lok Sabha performance.

At the convention, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) began deliberations today in Ahmedabad regarding future party strategies, crucial national concerns, organizational structure within, and preparations for future elections. The main leaders such as Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, CPP Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi are all attending the meeting. 

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in his inaugural address at the CWC meeting slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said that the "BJP creates communal divisions to distract from real problems."

Kharge also alleged that the BJP-RSS hatched conspiracies against national icons, observing that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's ideology was entirely different from the RSS. It was ironic for him that an organization with no role in the freedom movement was now attempting to appropriate Patel's legacy.

He added that a negative story is being made against Congress, a party with a rich history of serving and fighting for the country. He contended this is being done by people who have no achievements.

Addressing the BJP-RSS, Kharge asserted they had no part to play in India's struggle for independence.

He also blamed them for propagating misinformation regarding the relationship between Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, that they were at loggerheads. "The fact is that they were like two sides of the same coin," he said.

Kharge cited Sardar Patel, recalling a 1937 speech where Patel stated that Gujarat's loyalty to Congress, demonstrated by winning provincial elections, would merit welcoming Congress President Nehru with open arms. He also quoted Patel's October 14, 1949, statement acknowledging Nehru's tireless efforts and visible aging under immense national responsibilities.

The extensive meeting included CWC members, special invitees, state Congress presidents, parliamentary and state council leaders, Central Election Committee members, and former chief and deputy chief ministers.

Around 170 people are attending the meeting at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Memorial.

The Congress Working Committee (CWC), the Congress's highest decision-making body, is meeting at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Memorial in Ahmedabad, while the AICC session will be held at the Sabarmati Riverfront on April 9.