The Hindu : National : AICC meet on August 21

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Friday, Aug 20, 2004

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AICC meet on August 21

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, AUG. 19 . The All-India Congress Committee meets here on Saturday. The daylong meeting assumes significance since it would be the first such exercise after the advent of a Congress-led coalition government at the Centre in May.

Coming back to power via the coalition route after six years, the AICC plans to focus not just on the usual set of resolutions — political, economic and international — but bring in special ones, including one remembering the contributions of Rajiv Gandhi, whose 60th birth anniversary would be held tomorrow; thanking the people for the verdict in recent general elections; Sonia Gandhi for her contributions and on Panchayati Raj

Due to paucity of time, the party has decided to present one resolution outlining its approach on political, economic and international issues while the other three would be stand alone resolutions, the party general secretary, Ambika Soni, said at a briefing here.

Remembering Rajiv

The resolution on Rajiv Gandhi would be an attempt to recall the contribution of its former president and the country's youngest Prime Minister, the impact of his policies both in the national and international fields that has left an imprint on the sands of time. In fact, the AICC meeting has been scheduled to coincide with his birth anniversary.

The party has also extended a special invitation to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, as a "prominent Congress member" besides Rahul Gandhi, who would be part of the new MPs contingent invited for the meeting.

Special tribute

The Panchayati Raj resolution comes as a special tribute to Rajiv Gandhi, since it was during his tenure that the Government had amended the Constitution giving more powers to the local bodies. The resolution is expected to focus on the efforts to empower women and the backward classes and usher development in the villages.

Thanking people

Another resolution would thank the people for having elected the Congress and its allies and also thank the party president, Sonia Gandhi, for her untiring effort to bring the party back to power. The progress path since the time she took over as party chief — 1998 to 2004 — and also the act of renunciation would find a place.

Ms. Gandhi would deliver the inaugural address, following which the four resolutions would be moved. The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, will then elaborate on the policies of the United Progressive Alliance Government. It would be after nearly three decades that the party is headed by a person other than the Prime Minister.

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