Jaipur: The Congress is ready for UPA 3 if one goes by the spirit of discussions at its chintan shivir. The developments in the BJP on its leadership issue is making the Congress optimistic that it can retain power at the Centre this time as well. The brain-storming session saw several suggestions including coining a catchy slogan like Congress ka haath, yuva ke saath, discrediting smaller parties to gain space, rejecting nomination culture and strengthening bloc units.
“The alliances should be state specific and based on local factors. If the Congress cannot form a government on its own, then the regional parties too cannot come to power on their own. This is the reality,” a Congress chief minister, who took part in the two-day session, viewed.
He further said let the country pay the political price of fractured verdicts. “...But then we have to find a way out in such situations,” he added.
The Congress is open to the idea of pre-poll and post-poll alliances after realising that it cannot fight with the regional players and the BJP simultaneously in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Mah­a­r­ashtra, Madhya Prad­esh and Chhattisgarh.
Asked whether Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is welcomed in the party, a former Union minister said let him come out of the NDA. His politics has been anti-Congress, he pointed out. A Tamil Na­du Congress leader said that the party can be revived only if it discredits smaller parties and thus gain political space. The Congress has been out of power there since 1967. A Union minister from Uttar Pradesh vie­wed that creation of sma­ller states always help the Congress politically.
The discussions on three groups — emerging political challenges, orga­n­i­sational strengths and socio-economic challenges — were interesting. These groups were headed by A.K. Antony, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Digvijay Singh. Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party general secretary Rahul Gandhi took keen interests in the discussions.
The delegates were said to have complained that Central leaders, especially Union ministers, ignored the workers in the Opposition-ruled states. “They should have been accommodated in power positions, nominated to various corporations, boards, they felt. A delegate said he had suggested inner party elections like the Youth Congress and the NSUI.
* “We hope a decision will be taken keeping in mind the sentiments expressed. There have been demands for entrusting Mr Gandhi with the bigger responsibility of leading the party in the 2014 polls. Beyond this, any decision has to be taken by Congress president Sonia Gandhi.” — Rajiv Shukla, Union minister. 
 
 
* “It is not the culture of Congress party to announce a PM candidate before the elections. We do not believe in taking away the right of elected representatives. Congress believes in parliamentary democracy. Congress never declares its PM candidate before election.” — Digvijay Singh
Congress general secretary 
 
* “It’s a historic decision and we welcome it. It has energised the party workers throughout the nation. We will go to the next Lok Sabha election with a renewed vigour now. Rahul will be a unifying force for Congress.” — Sachin Pilot, Corporate affairs minister
 
* “Every party projects its leader in elections ... So, what’s wrong if Congress gives bigger role to Rahul Gandhi?” — Lalu Prasad, RJD president
 
* “We want him to play a far bigger role in the 2014 elections. Youth have been the focus in this shivir. It is the positive agenda of Rahul Gandhi against the negative politics of Narendra Modi.”
— Jitin Prasada Union minister
 
* “Rahul is an asset of the party.” — Renuka Chowdhury Congress spokesperson 
 
* “Consensus at chintan shivir that youth should be empowered.” — Milind Deora Union minister
 
* “He should be made our role model.” — Jagmeet Brar CWC member 
 
* “We have been expecting it for long. It should have happened earlier.” — Prithviraj Chavan Maharashtra CM