Cong to review its manifesto implementation for general elections

New Delhi: Gearing up for the next general elections, the Congress will review the performance of implementation of its manifesto on 9 November while also discussing the current political situation and the economic challenges, a party leader said on Thursday. “An informal ‘samvad (dialogue)’ meeting will be held on 9 November,” Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi told reporters in New Delhi. [caption id=“attachment_511862” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representative image. Reuters[/caption] The meeting, to be held at Surajkund in Haryana near Delhi, would be attended by members of the Congress Working Committee, the party’s highest decision making body, general secretaries in charge of states, cabinet ministers and ministers of state with independent charge. Coming after a new look Manmohan Singh cabinet was sworn in on Sunday, the meet is being described in Congress circles as a “review cum strategy” session. Party sources said while this discussion would enable the leadership to identify gaps in the implementation of the party manifesto in the form of various welfare schemes, it would also provide a road map for the rejigged cabinet before the next general elections. Stating that both the party and the government should be ready for polls anytime, the Congress sources said the next Lok Sabha elections could also happen next year. According to the party sources, while the performance of the various flagship welfare schemes started by the United Progressive Alliance government are doing well in party-ruled states, there are a lot of problems in their implementation in the opposition-run states. “The state unit chiefs have often complained about this issue,” said a senior party leader on condition of anonymity. A ‘chintan shivir’, an expanded review-cum-strategy session involving the AICC and state leaders is also being planned, said the sources. IANS