Congress Vows Movement Over ‘Compromised’ Poll Process, Reaffirms Stand On Places Of Worship Act

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) convened on Friday, adopting a resolution alleging that the integrity of India’s electoral process was being severely compromised. The party announced its decision to launch a national movement to address the issue, citing concerns over the partisan functioning of the Election Commission and the undermining of free and fair elections, a Constitutional mandate.  

The meeting, held during the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, criticised the session as a “washout” due to the Modi government’s refusal to engage in discussions on pressing national issues. These included allegations of corruption involving a business group, violence in Manipur, and incidents in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal.  

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, when asked why the resolution did not name the business group, clarified, “The answer is the Adani group.”  

The CWC’s resolution stated, “The integrity of the entire electoral process is being severely compromised. Free and fair elections is a Constitutional mandate that is being called into serious question by the partisan functioning of the Election Commission. Increasing sections of society are becoming frustrated and deeply apprehensive.”  

Ramesh alleged that the ECI “ignored” their previous complaints while urging the poll body to ensure fair elections. He further said that the Congress’s national movement will include ground rallies.

CWC Meeting: Congress Pledges Commitment To Places Of Worship Act

The resolution also highlighted other concerns, including continued violence in Manipur, the Prime Minister’s failure to visit the state since May 2023, and what it described as the BJP’s systematic attempts to foment communal tensions, particularly in Uttar Pradesh. The CWC reaffirmed its commitment to the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, accusing the BJP of violating it.  

The CWC accused the BJP of systematically fomenting communal tensions, citing the violence in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, following a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid on November 19. The survey, based on claims of a Harihar temple existing at the site, led to clashes on November 24, resulting in four deaths and several injuries.

The Congress reiterated its commitment to the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which prohibits altering the character of religious places as they existed on August 15, 1947. The party accused the BJP of brazenly violating this law.

CWC Meeting: Congress To Form Internal Committees To Examine Poll Performace

Addressing a press conference alongside Ramesh and Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, K.C. Venugopal, Congress general secretary (organisation), said the CWC discussed the political situation for four-and-a-half hours and adopted the resolution. The committee decided to form internal committees to examine the party’s electoral performance and organisational matters.  

On the Assembly poll results in Maharashtra, Venugopal described the outcomes as “beyond normal understanding,” alleging targeted manipulation.

The CWC expressed shock over the Maharashtra Assembly election results, terming them “inexplicable” and suggesting they were the result of “targeted manipulation.” The Congress and its Maha Vikas Aghadi allies—Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP)—suffered significant losses, winning only 16, 20, and 10 seats, respectively, in the 288-member Assembly.

The resolution also highlighted alleged electoral malpractices in Haryana, stating that Congress should have won by a convincing margin but failed due to overlooked irregularities.

Acknowledging its electoral setbacks, the CWC called for unity and resilience within the party. It expressed gratitude for the decisive mandates given to the Congress-led INDIA coalition in Jharkhand and the National Conference-Congress alliance in Jammu and Kashmir. However, it noted the need for introspection regarding its underperformance in Haryana and Maharashtra.  

The resolution further outlined key issues for the party’s narrative, including demands for a caste census to ensure social justice, the removal of the 50% ceiling on reservations, and addressing economic monopolies, price rises, and unemployment.  

The CWC called upon party members to remain united and disciplined, urging resilience and determination. It expressed confidence in party president Mallikarjun Kharge’s efforts to conduct state-wise reviews and implement necessary organisational reforms.

The resolution emphasised the party’s ongoing campaigns, such as the Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, to address public issues like caste census for social justice, removal of the 50% reservation cap, monopolistic control in the economy, price rise, and unemployment.

The CWC concluded with a call to action: “The Congress will take up these public concerns as a national movement.”