The Congress has deferred plans to hold its chintan shivir (brainstorming session) in view of the developments inside and outside the UPA and corruption becoming a major issue.
The party is contemplating holding the shivir after the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
According to well-placed sources, even the Parliament session could be delayed by a week and may be held in the third week of July.
This means the proposed brainstorming session could be held either in September or October in a Congress-ruled state, expectedly Rajasthan.
A chintan shivir has become essential because of confusion in party workers on the issue of coalitions, separate states (like Telangana), corruption and price rise.
Besides, the Congress Party’s pathetic performance in the Tamil Nadu and Bihar Assembly polls is also an eye-opener.
Currently, the Congress is sharing power in Maharashtra, West Bengal, Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir and Goa. Barring Maharashtra, it is comfortable with its allies — the Trinamul Congress, UDF constituents and the National Conference. But it is uncomfortable with the DMK in Tamil Nadu and is keen to emerge as the single-largest party in Maharashtra.
The party leaders are speaking in different voices whether or not to go it alone in the coming UP Assembly elections. The Congress wanted to release its first list of UP candidates before May 31 but could not.
This is at a time when the BSP and the Samajwadi Party have already started election preparations, including shortlisting their nominees.
The government’s entire focus is on passage of key legislations, including the Lokpal Bill, Communal Violence Bill and Food Security Bill.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, in her address to the AICC plenary session held at Burari (Delhi) in December 2010, had said that the party would hold conclaves similar to the Panchmarhi Vichar Manthan Shivir and the Shimla Chintan Shivi