Congress to undertake mass membership drive from 1 November

The party made the assertions after a special meeting of general secretaries, in-charges and Pradesh Congress presidents which was presided over by party president Sonia Gandhi.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi was also present at the meeting and participated in the deliberations.

Addressing a press conference, Surjewala asserted that the Congress would reach out to every nook and corner, every ward and village across the country and offer Indians in the remotest parts, a platform for their aspirations.

He said that the party will also undertake an ideological training programme to counter the “systematic attack unleashed by the BJP/RSS not only on the Congress ideology but on the core fundamentals of justice, equality and affirmative action enshrined in the Constitution.”

Congress membership forms

This comes days after the party readied a membership form listing 10 points for the personal declaration by those wanting to become members.

It said that anyone wishing to take up the primary membership of the Congress will have to make a declaration of abstention from alcohol and drugs and give an undertaking to never criticise the party’s policies and programmes in public forums.

Further, new members have to give a declaration that they will not own any property in excess of the ceiling laws and not hesitate to undertake “physical labour and work” to further the party’s policies and programmes.

All new members will also have to give an undertaking that they do not indulge in any form of social discrimination and will work towards removing it in society.

“I am a habitual wearer of certified Khadi; I abstain from alcoholic drinks and intoxicant drugs; I neither believe in nor practise social discrimination in any shape or form and undertake to work for its removal; I believe in an integrated society without distinction of religion or caste; I undertake to perform minimum tasks including manual labour as may be prescribed by the Working Committee; I do not own any property in excess of ceiling laws” are among the undertakings a new Congress member must give.

A member will also have to state that “I subscribe to and work for promoting the principles of secularism, socialism and democracy. I shall not, directly or indirectly, openly or otherwise, adversely criticise the accepted policies and programmes of the party, except through party forums.”

As part of the membership form, the Congress has said that its objective is the welfare and progress of all Indians and the party has the objective to establish a socialist state through peaceful and constitutional means, which is based on parliamentary democracy.

The election of the new Congress president will be held between 21 August and 20 September next year, according to the schedule approved by the Congress Working Committee, the highest decision-making body of the party.