Sonia Gandhi emphasises the urgent need for better connect with the new generation

Congress president Sonia Gandhi during her opening remarks at the Congress’ chintan shivir at Jaipur has said that the party’s revival would depend on mitigating the disillusionment of the growing middle classes as well as segments of the traditional vote bank.

In her inaugural address at the two-day AICC session, Sonia Gandhi emphasised the urgent need for reconnecting with the opinion-making section of the society. "India is increasingly peopled by a younger, more aspirational, more impatient and better educated generation. Across the length and breadth of our country, our people are expecting much more from their political parties. Aided by the tools of the modern world - television, social media, mobile phones and the internet - today's India is better informed and better equipped to communicate."

The Congress President added that the country's, "citizens are rightly fed up with the levels of corruption that they see in public life at high levels, but equally with the corruption they have to deal with in their daily lives. This is a phenomenon, a churning that we must understand and continue to respond to. We cannot allow our growing educated and middle-classes to be disillusioned and alienated from the political process."

The UPA government's policies also came for high praise from the Congress President who emphasized the importance of economic growth. "Economic growth over the past decade has been impressive. This has had a major impact on reducing poverty. But our fight against inequality and poverty is a continuing one. This is why it is important to sustain our poverty alleviation programmes."

Sonia Gandhi said the party will have to adequately respond to challenges posed by these movements. "We see various protest movements across the country, relating to land, forest, water and livelihood, tribal and gender issues. Our party must proactively take up these causes," she said.

The Congress President pointed out that the party had lost traction in states that it once controlled as a matter of serious concern. "This session is taking place at a time when we have been in government at the Centre for almost nine years. It is also taking place when we are not governing in a number of states and when we face serious challenges in states long considered our bastions."

"While we continue to be the nation's pre-eminent political party, we must admit that we now face increased competition and inroads have been made into our traditional support bases," said Sonia Gandhi.  The Party president sent a clear message of unity to partymen. "Is it not the case that we have squandered many opportunities that people are willing to give us simply because we have been unable to function as a disciplined and united team?" asked Sonia Gandhi.