Rahul Gandhi argues for private sector reservation at the extended CWC meeting on the eve of the AICC session. He also urges the Cong to increase its outreach to OBCs and states that it shouldn’t be scared to report “attacks on minorities.”
On Tuesday, the Congress party took a significant step beyond its usual criticism of the BJP, unveiling a refreshed agenda that emphasized “national harmony” over its traditional focus on secularism, clarified its stance on nationalism in contrast to what it calls the BJP’s “pseudo-nationalism,” and positioned itself as a pioneer in advancing reservations as part of a renewed push for social justice. Senior leader Rahul Gandhi signaled an unapologetic outreach to backward classes, hinting at a strategy to reclaim electoral ground.
The extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) convened to review a draft resolution, dubbed Nyay Path, set for adoption at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) session the following day. The draft, accessed by The Indian Express, departs from convention by offering a nuanced take on faith, defining the Congress’s brand of nationalism, and doubling down on its social justice commitment. Sources revealed that Rahul Gandhi, during the CWC discussions, passionately advocated for deeper engagement with Other Backward Classes (OBCs), urging the party to champion their cause, including pushing for private-sector reservations. He argued that connecting with backward, extremely backward, and most backward communities could revive the Congress’s fortunes in Uttar Pradesh.
Rahul also emphasized that the party should not hesitate to address the struggles of Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs, describing them as “minorities under attack,” though some members cautioned against alienating Hindus. Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor highlighted the need to win back voters who deserted the Congress in the last three elections, where its vote share has stagnated at 19-20% since 2014. He urged the party to craft a positive, forward-looking vision—focused on hope and aspiration—rather than dwelling on negativity or past glories.
The draft resolution notably swaps “secularism” for “national harmony.” It states, “India’s unique strength lies in its pluralistic culture, unmatched diversity, and syncretic Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb,” celebrating the Constitution’s guarantee of non-discrimination across religion, caste, language, or lifestyle. This, it asserts, is the essence of Congress ideology. In contrast, it accuses the BJP and its affiliates of undermining this spirit by stoking religious, linguistic, regional, and caste-based divisions, citing anti-conversion laws and Waqf Board amendments as tools of polarization.
Social justice emerges as a cornerstone, with the party touting its historical role in embedding reservations in the Constitution. The draft recalls how, after the Supreme Court struck down reservations in 1951, Jawaharlal Nehru’s Congress government introduced Article 15(4) via the first constitutional amendment. It also credits the party with implementing the Mandal Commission’s 27% OBC quota in 1993—under P.V. Narasimha Rao, though his name is conspicuously absent—and securing OBC reservations in education through Article 15(5) in 2006. The resolution reiterates the call for a nationwide caste census.
The meeting, chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and attended by Sonia Gandhi, Rahul, chief ministers, and top leaders, coincided with symbolic gestures honoring freedom movement icons. Held at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Memorial, it marked Patel’s 150th birth anniversary, with hoardings featuring Gandhi, Nehru, and Patel dotting the venue. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, abroad for personal reasons, was absent with prior leave.
The draft contrasts Congress’s unifying nationalism with the BJP/RSS’s “divisive pseudo-nationalism,” alleging the latter seeks to erase India’s diversity. A separate resolution hailed Patel as a “flagbearer of the freedom movement,” with Kharge decrying efforts to pit him against Nehru, insisting the two were complementary figures.
Kerala leaders raised local concerns, accusing the BJP of exploiting Muslim-Christian tensions over land in Munambam ahead of next year’s Assembly polls. Organisationally, Kharge stressed that “numbers mean little without structure,” while AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal promised a “massive reshuffle” and measures to empower District Congress Committee chiefs, signaling a structural overhaul to bolster the party’s grassroots.
