New Congress will emerge from today: Kharge at end of Plenary Session

In his concluding speech at the Congress’ 85th Plenary Session in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur on Sunday (February 26), Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said “a new Congress” would emerge now.

Reminding the audience that the party’s history was one of struggle, he said it has many more struggles and challenges ahead of it but none that it cannot face if it is united and determined.

“The Plenary Session may be concluding here but a new Congress will emerge from today,” he said. “In the 138 years of Congress history, we have now had 85 Plenary Sessions, and each session has given a new vision, a new direction for this country,” he added.

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“Strong grassroots organisation needed”

“We have taken a historic decision here to give 50 per cent representation to SCs (scheduled castes), STs (scheduled tribes), OBCs (other backward classes), minorities, women, and youth in the CWC (Congress Working Committee) and all party posts… We have had many other meaningful discussions, and the suggestions and conclusions that have come will play a vital role in the upcoming elections and in strengthening the party,” he asserted.

Talking about the task ahead, he said the party must build a strong organisation at the grassroots. “The resolutions cleared here today are on issues directly connected with the people. In the states where we are in power, we must push this agenda, and in the states where we are in the Opposition, we must raise these issues,” he said.

“Our history, before and after Independence, is one of struggle. We struggled for the country’s independence, to give our country a Constitution… Today, we have many struggles and challenges ahead of us but none that we cannot face. We must be united and determined,” he added.

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“We’ll keep fighting the BJP”

Saying that the party’s job was to keep changing with the changing time, he asserted that it would keep fighting the BJP. “A lot changes with time; the aspirations of people change, challenges change. Our job is to keep working, adapting to these challenges,” he said.

“The disturbing levels of disparity in the country today should worry us all. The widening gap between the rich and the poor, the issues of the Dalits, Adivasis, backward classes, minorities, women, the trend of communal strife — we must fight them all,” he added.

“We must not forget that the Congress not only got India its independence but also laid the foundation of a prosperous country that is today the world’s largest democracy,” he said.

“We will keep fighting the BJP; we will keep raising our voice against the failures of this government. We will not get intimidated. We will stay united, because only a strong Congress can ensure a strong India,” he concluded.