During an extended CWC meeting in Karnataka's Belagavi, the Congress said the recent elections to the Maharashtra and Haryana Assemblies were rigged.
Published Dec 27, 2024 | 11:09 AM ⚊ Updated Dec 27, 2024 | 11:09 AM
Congress held its extended working committee meeting at Belagavi. (supplied)
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Thursday, 26 December, launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Narendra Modi-led NDA government.
An extended CWC meeting in Karnataka’s Belagavi alleged irregularities in the 2024 Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana and an alleged increase of assault on democratic principles.
Senior leaders, including All India Congress Committee (AICC) Communications Secretary (in-charge) Jairam Ramesh, and AICC General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal voiced concerns over threats to Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy, a lack of electoral transparency, and diminishing accountability within democratic and bureaucratic institutions.
During the meeting, the party adopted five resolutions, including undertaking a nationwide campaign for electoral reforms, an organisational revamp and a renewed commitment to Gandhian values through initiatives like the Nav Satyagraha Sankalp.
Over 130 leaders, including Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Suku, former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and former Maharashtra chief minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, participated in the meeting, named “Nava Satyagraha Baithak”.
Former AICC president and Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi obliquely blamed the BJP for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, who addressed the meeting over a video conferencing facility.
“His (Gandhi’s) legacy is under threat from those in power in New Delhi and the ideologies and institutions that have nurtured them. These organisations never fought for our freedom. They opposed Mahatma Gandhi bitterly. They created a toxic atmosphere that led to his assassination. They glorified his killer,” Sonia Gandhi’s letter said.
She also expressed regret over not turning up for the CWC meeting to mark the centenary celebration of Mahatma Gandhi presiding over the 1924 Congress session in Belagavi.
Belagavi city was abuzz with political activity as the ruling Congress party adorned the city in grand style for the CWC meeting. Before the meeting, the members of Seva Dal organised a grand reception for the Congress leaders at Tilakwadi.
Senior Congress leaders, including its chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha’s Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and others marched for about 300 m to Veera Soudha Public Park at Tilakwadi, where Mahatma Gandhi presided over the 1924 Congress session.
Kharge hoisted the party flag at the Veera Soudha Public Park. Congress MPs, MLCs and other leaders from across the country participated in the event.
#Karnataka: The extended Congress Working Committee meeting is underway at Veer Soudha Public Park at Tilakwadi in #Belagavi.
The extended CWC meeting is named “Nava Satyagraha Bhaitak”. The meeting is being held in Belagavi to mark the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi presiding… pic.twitter.com/CFdTKedyMK
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) December 26, 2024
The resolutions adopted by the party included plans for a comprehensive organisational revamp, a nationwide outreach programme titled Samvidhan Bachao Rashtriya Padayatra, and a year-long campaign named Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, and Jai Samvidhan Abhiyan.
Meanwhile, the Congress government called off all the programmes scheduled for Friday, following the demise of former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday night.
Expressing concerns about the functioning of the ECI, Jairam Ramesh alleged that the 2024 Maharashtra and Haryana elections were rigged.
“Haryana and Maharashtra (assembly) elections both were doctored. There have been irregularities in the elections,” he told reporters.
“We raised this (issue) but it was ignored. There was no explanation (from the ECI) for the issues that we raised about these Assembly polls,” Ramesh said.
He added that he had filed a petition before the Supreme Court challenging the changes and research on the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961.
Venugopal said several memoranda were submitted to the ECI. “There are so many issues like voter’s list (which the ECI is not addressing) and basically, transparency of the ECI has vanished.”
“ECI has to conduct the election transparently. It is lacking these days. Whenever we ask for the voters’ list, they deny to give it to us,” he said.
“Maharashtra Assembly election was not conducted fairly. We will raise this issue, through the national level campaign, because that is the basic structure of the Constitution to conduct fair and free elections,” the MP from Kerala said, adding that the party would fight against the ECI’s attitude.
Sources claimed that Rahul Gandhi gave a presentation on the recently concluded Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly elections, especially on the alleged rigging of voters’ lists.
Following the meeting, the Congress leadership announced that it would totally revamp the party.
“We have decided to go for a massive political campaign over the next year. We have already told that 2025 will be the year of be organisational revamp,” Venugopal said.
“From every level – booth to the top level – there will be an examination of accountability, thorough enquiry about the capability of the leadership. We will do a massive organisational revamp, which will start immediately,” he added.
Here are the two resolutions adopted at the Nava Satyagraha Baithak of the Extended Congress Working Committee at Belagavi today (1/2) pic.twitter.com/cGCJM5PvJl
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) December 26, 2024
Venugopal said the revamp plan was not an offshoot of the electoral losses in Maharashtra and Haryana.
The CWC meeting also decided to hold the April 2025 AICC conference in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state Gujarat. “We will hold the AICC conference in Gujarat. Around 2,000 party leaders and workers will attend,” Ramesh said.
“We are holding a conference in Gujarat since the Prime Minister, Home Minister, the BJP and the RSS are attacking Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals, values and teachings. We are planning to hold the conference during the first half of April,” the Congress leader said, adding that BR Ambedkar was also being targeted.
