NEW DELHI: Congress general secretary Sachin Pilot on Sunday said the party is witnessing a gradual generational shift, with young leaders increasingly taking charge of key responsibilities. He said that such a transition doesn't happen overnight but is a continuous process already underway.
Speaking to PTI ahead of the AICC session in Ahmedabad, Pilot said young leaders were stepping up to responsibilities within the party and delivering results. "Any shift is never overnight but a gradual one," he said when asked if the time had come for a generational change within the Congress.
Congress committed to strengthen backwards, young people and more
He said that the Congress is consciously working towards strengthening its base among backward classes, women, youth, SCs, STs and minorities, sections that make up the largest chunk of India's population. "The party has committed itself to strengthening the backwards, young people, women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minorities. These are the sections that form the largest chunks of our population and adequate representation of those sections is crucial," he said.
"At the party forum, we adopted the Udaipur declaration and are adhering to that. In all party appointments we are keeping that declaration in mind. The (generational) shift is happening automatically, there are many people who are now taking on leadership roles whether it is within Parliament or outside Parliament, whether in states or new people appointed in AICC, young people are now taking on leadership roles and are living up to the task," he added.
Pilot on young people in party
He added that Congress is working to give young people more political power in the party.
"Mr Rahul Gandhi, Mr.Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka (Gandhi Vadra) ji are taking active interest in the functioning of the party, departments and frontal organisations like the IYC, NSUI, Sewa Dal, Mahila Congress and so on. We have committed ourselves to making 2025 as the year of rejuvenating and enthusing the party cadre; and we are going to see more ideological strengthening of the party, giving effective people more responsibilities and ensuring that those who are not up to the task make way for people that are working hard and performing," Pilot said.
2025 year for organisational empowerment
Further, Pilot said that accountability and ideological clarity would be the party's guiding principles going forward.
"There will be a constant review of who's performing and not performing. For example, in Rajasthan we have taken a decision that any office bearer of the party who does not attend three party meetings consecutively without proper reason, that person has to let go and give space to someone else," the Congress general secretary said.
Pilot said the party's 2025 agenda, as declared in the Belagavi conclave, is focused on organisational empowerment, including filling vacant posts and energising the cadre. District Congress committee chiefs, he said, will play a bigger role in elections, financial management, and candidate selection.
Commenting on Congress persons switching sides, especially around the Lok Sabha polls, Pilot said that individuals may come and go due to personal or political reasons, but the party's ideology and commitment to public service remain intact.
Pilot accuses BJP of subjugating, defaming and threatening opposition
"How to sharpen it, how to strengthen it, how to get more young people join the Congress fold is obviously a constant effort from the top leadership. The BJP has used central agencies to subjugate, defame, threaten, lure and character assassinate leaders from the opposition, especially from the Congress," he said.
"The Congress persons who are committed will forge on. Our top leadership has been attacked politically by the agencies but we have fought back, we will fight them legally and we will fight them on the streets," he added.
BJP is raising emotive issues: Pilot
Pilot praised Rahul Gandhi for his assertive role as Leader of the Opposition and for asking tough questions in Parliament. "We are performing the role of a constructive opposition while the BJP is raising emotive issues," he said.
Focus on Gujarat
Speaking on the upcoming AICC session in Ahmedabad, Pilot said the event is crucial as it marks a renewed focus on Gujarat, a state where the Congress once held strong ground. "I think Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has made it very clear that we will focus very strongly on Gujarat. Politically, we have been strong in Gujarat and this AICC session will give a boost to all our workers in the country but most specifically to our leaders and workers in Gujarat," he said.
"Gujarat has always been a Congress bastion. However, in the last two decades or so we haven't been able to win elections but our vote share has been very strong there and it is bipolar politics in Gujarat. Mr. Gandhi has made several visits to the state of Gujarat recently also. I think he and Mr Kharge have taken it upon themselves that we have to revive, strengthen and restore the Congress' past glory in Gujarat," Pilot added.
The AICC session, themed 'Nyaypath: Sankalp, Samarpan and Sangharsh', will take place on April 9 in Ahmedabad, with over 1,700 members of the All India Congress Committee expected to attend.
Speaking to PTI ahead of the AICC session in Ahmedabad, Pilot said young leaders were stepping up to responsibilities within the party and delivering results. "Any shift is never overnight but a gradual one," he said when asked if the time had come for a generational change within the Congress.
Congress committed to strengthen backwards, young people and more
He said that the Congress is consciously working towards strengthening its base among backward classes, women, youth, SCs, STs and minorities, sections that make up the largest chunk of India's population. "The party has committed itself to strengthening the backwards, young people, women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minorities. These are the sections that form the largest chunks of our population and adequate representation of those sections is crucial," he said.
"At the party forum, we adopted the Udaipur declaration and are adhering to that. In all party appointments we are keeping that declaration in mind. The (generational) shift is happening automatically, there are many people who are now taking on leadership roles whether it is within Parliament or outside Parliament, whether in states or new people appointed in AICC, young people are now taking on leadership roles and are living up to the task," he added.
Pilot on young people in party
He added that Congress is working to give young people more political power in the party.
"Mr Rahul Gandhi, Mr.Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka (Gandhi Vadra) ji are taking active interest in the functioning of the party, departments and frontal organisations like the IYC, NSUI, Sewa Dal, Mahila Congress and so on. We have committed ourselves to making 2025 as the year of rejuvenating and enthusing the party cadre; and we are going to see more ideological strengthening of the party, giving effective people more responsibilities and ensuring that those who are not up to the task make way for people that are working hard and performing," Pilot said.
2025 year for organisational empowerment
Further, Pilot said that accountability and ideological clarity would be the party's guiding principles going forward.
"There will be a constant review of who's performing and not performing. For example, in Rajasthan we have taken a decision that any office bearer of the party who does not attend three party meetings consecutively without proper reason, that person has to let go and give space to someone else," the Congress general secretary said.
Pilot said the party's 2025 agenda, as declared in the Belagavi conclave, is focused on organisational empowerment, including filling vacant posts and energising the cadre. District Congress committee chiefs, he said, will play a bigger role in elections, financial management, and candidate selection.
Commenting on Congress persons switching sides, especially around the Lok Sabha polls, Pilot said that individuals may come and go due to personal or political reasons, but the party's ideology and commitment to public service remain intact.
Pilot accuses BJP of subjugating, defaming and threatening opposition
"How to sharpen it, how to strengthen it, how to get more young people join the Congress fold is obviously a constant effort from the top leadership. The BJP has used central agencies to subjugate, defame, threaten, lure and character assassinate leaders from the opposition, especially from the Congress," he said.
"The Congress persons who are committed will forge on. Our top leadership has been attacked politically by the agencies but we have fought back, we will fight them legally and we will fight them on the streets," he added.
BJP is raising emotive issues: Pilot
Pilot praised Rahul Gandhi for his assertive role as Leader of the Opposition and for asking tough questions in Parliament. "We are performing the role of a constructive opposition while the BJP is raising emotive issues," he said.
Focus on Gujarat
Speaking on the upcoming AICC session in Ahmedabad, Pilot said the event is crucial as it marks a renewed focus on Gujarat, a state where the Congress once held strong ground. "I think Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has made it very clear that we will focus very strongly on Gujarat. Politically, we have been strong in Gujarat and this AICC session will give a boost to all our workers in the country but most specifically to our leaders and workers in Gujarat," he said.
"Gujarat has always been a Congress bastion. However, in the last two decades or so we haven't been able to win elections but our vote share has been very strong there and it is bipolar politics in Gujarat. Mr. Gandhi has made several visits to the state of Gujarat recently also. I think he and Mr Kharge have taken it upon themselves that we have to revive, strengthen and restore the Congress' past glory in Gujarat," Pilot added.
The AICC session, themed 'Nyaypath: Sankalp, Samarpan and Sangharsh', will take place on April 9 in Ahmedabad, with over 1,700 members of the All India Congress Committee expected to attend.
You may also like
Cinema workers 'want to quit' as teens keep doing same thing during Minecraft movie
Gary Neville names 5 players not good enough for Man Utd and 4 who should still be there
Himachal: Visually impaired protesters block roads in Shimla, demand backlog quota appointments
US revokes visas of four Columbia students, university confirms
Tragic Incident in Odisha: Family of Three Dies After Consuming Poisoned Rice
