Congress plans new deal for weaker groups

Party plans new package for SCs, STs, OBCs

Quota within quota for the Women’s Reservation bill, clear support for caste-based census, proposal to have reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in legislature and Parliament, reservation in the private sector — the Congress is getting ready to offer a new deal to important social groups in order to make a political comeback.

All these proposals were shared on Saturday on Day 2 of the Nav SankalpChintan Shivir by the party’s panel on social justice but the final decision would depend upon the approval by the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Sunday.

The closed door sessions of different panels also saw intense debate on the party adopting a soft Hindutva line on different occasions, discussion on the need to have separate general secretaries to manage elections, communication and the need to have a separate training institution for workers on party ideology.

The demand to provide separate quota for scheduled castes (SCs), scheduled tribes (STs), OBCs and minorities within the 33 per cent reservation for women in legislature and Parliament is a significant departure from Congress’ earlier position and reflects its willingness to build a new constituency among women from these communities.

As a first step, the party announced that it would change the party's constitutional provision of providing for 20% reservation for SCs, STs, OBCs and minorities, and raise it to 50%.

K. Raju, a member of the social justice panel and coordinator to oversee the activities of the Congress’ SC/OBC/Minority Departments, said, “The group has discussed and decided that in the short run, we must step up this to 50%. Fifty per cent reservation in all the committees starting with booth committees, block committees, district committees, PCCs and the CWC, be provided”.

Other important suggestions include setting up a social justice advisory group, focus on sub-castes and groups of SCs and STs and conducting special meetings of CWC, Pradesh Congress Committees and District Congress Committees every six months.