The Congress should go all out to identify, mobilise and align like-minded secular forces as well as include secular regional outfits who agree with its ideology, the party said in its draft political resolution on Saturday, asserting that the emergence of any third force will provide advantage to the National Democratic Alliance.
The resolution was being deliberated on the second day of the party's three-day 85th plenary session here and was expected to be passed by the evening.
The draft was prepared by the political affairs sub-group for the plenary and it is being headed by former Union minister M Veerappa Moily and former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan.
"Unity of secular and socialist forces will be the hallmark of the future of the Congress party. The Congress should go all out to identify, mobilise and align like-minded secular forces," the draft resolution said.
"We should include secular regional forces who agree with our ideology. There is an urgent need for a united opposition to take on the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) on common ideological grounds. Emergence of any third force will provide advantage to the BJP/NDA," it said.
The draft resolution asserted that the Congress will prepare a vision document for 2024, following a largest-ever mass contact programme, which will encompass issues of unemployment, eradication of poverty, inflation, women empowerment, job creation and national security.
"Specially, the Congress must reverse the current regressive path of growth without improving the lives of the poorest. Our growth mantra must have a human touch, creating livelihoods and employment opportunities," the draft resolution said.
It said the Congress will infuse new blood in leadership roles without creating new fault lines and cementing its ideological moorings.
"Congress will create a clear-cut role model and will catapult the party back to power both at the state and Centre," it added.
Addressing the 85th plenary session of the Congress, party president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said his party is willing to forge a viable alternative by aligning with like-minded parties in order to get rid of the "anti-people" BJP government in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, and is ready to make any sacrifice required to achieve the goal.
In the prevailing difficult circumstances, the Congress is the only party that can provide capable and decisive leadership to the country, he asserted.
From 2004 to 2014, the Congress-led alliance with like-minded parties effectively served the people of the country, Kharge noted.
"We once again look forward to forging a viable alternative by aligning with like-minded parties to defeat the anti-people and undemocratic BJP government," he said.
"We are ready to strive for the welfare of the people of our country and (will make) whatever sacrifices that are required," Kharge said.
Kharge also said the goal for the upcoming state elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls is clear.
The Congress president's remarks assume significance as they come amid talk of forging opposition unity.
The Congress' vehement criticism of the Trinamool Congress has drawn a sharp response from the party, signalling cracks in opposition ranks.
According to other clauses of the draft political resolution, the Congress promised that it will pass a new law to prevent and punish hate crimes.
The draft resolution also talked about the "threat to the judiciary".
"The judiciary is constantly threatened by direct and indirect measures which create apprehensions in their mind. Unfortunately, the law minister himself is leading the blatant attack on the judiciary. Congress promises that the independence and integrity of the judiciary will be maintained and protected at all costs," the draft resolution said.
It also alleged that free discussions and debate in Parliament and legislative assemblies have been curtailed.
"Expunging the truth and suppressing the voices of the opposition is becoming the order of the day. This is a blatant subversion of Article 105 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech as a right for members of Parliament," the draft resolution said.
The declining time and quality of debate in Parliament shows how the BJP is undermining parliamentary democracy, it said.
