New Delhi: The Congress on Monday indicated of holding a ‘chintan shivir’ (brain storming session) next month either in party-ruled Himachal Pradesh or Uttarakhand against the backdrop of the results of five state Assembly elections and ahead of the crucial Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand polls.
This exercise is needed at a time when the party has been facing twin challenges from the BJP and regional parties across the country after its defeat in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and the state Assembly polls held after that.
After the party got 45 seats in the Lok Sabha and thereby failed to get the post of the Leader of the Opposition, its numbers in the Rajya Sabha too are decreasing gradually although it is still the largest single party in the Upper House.
The brainstorming session is being held at a time when Mr Rahul Gandhi's elevation to the party chief's post is being talked about in party circles. A senior leader, on condition of anonymity, said that the brain storming session could be held in a hill state.
Karnataka, which is also a party-ruled state, could also be considered.
Another senior leader ruled out a possibility of calling an AICC session or a CWC meeting.
According to sources, June or first half of July is the right time for a ‘chintan shivir’. This is because the Monsoon Session of Parliament could begin in the third week of July and after that the focus will be on the electoral battle in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand.
The Congress might have won the Puducherry Assembly but its defeat in Assam and Kerala has demoralised the party, especially the BJP's victory in Assam. If the AAP is emerging as a key player in the coming Punjab poll,it is making inroads in Goa and may put up candidates in MP and Chhattisgarh.
