NEW DELHI: Congress will ask its cadre if the party is perceived as "anti-Hindu", seeking views on what has been flagged by some senior leaders as a vulnerability that cost it heavily in the faceoff with BJP in the Lok Sabha elections.
The effort to chart Congress's "political strategy" for the future will seek feedback on the perception that the party is tilted towards minorities. Such fraught consultation would not have been possible but for the rise of Hindutva strongman Narendra Modi.
Sources said there was a strong desire in Congress to "shatter the perception" that is politically debilitating even as the party contends that a skewed view about its "secular" politics is unfair.
The big BJP victory in the Modi-steered campaign that lashed out at the Congress over issues like illegal immigration and legislation like the communal violence bill led to some soul searching. Congress's decimation saw senior leader A K Antony warn that the party needed to correct the perception about its minority bias that was hurting its chances.
Congress heir apparent Rahul Gandhi has directed AICC managers to hold state-level meetings to pick the average worker's mind on key issues that would form the basis for organizational renewal.
Besides expanding the party reach and revamping its structure, sources said the brainstorming on "political strategy" would aim to shed the perception of the party being seen as anti-Hindu in its bid to woo minorities and in its secular construct.
Though flagged by stalwarts like Antony and Digvijay Singh, the issue surfaced in consultations on future strategy held by Rahul. In around 20 meetings, sources said almost every group of leaders underlined the backlash due to Congress's pro-minority stance. They also blamed the saffron camp for branding Congress as opposed to the majority's interests.
According to sources, Congress seems to have decided to shed this handicap that has crept into its religion-neutral politics. At meetings to be held across states, workers down the rung would be asked if they think the Congress is viewed by common people as "anti-Hindu" and what has to be done to correct the perception.
Crucially, Congress would also ask workers if they think the party needs to take up issue-based agitational politics.
While agitation is integral to the functioning of political parties, the oldest outfit has not been associated with protests and movements which rivals like BJP and Aam Aadmi Party are employing to great effect. Many argue that Congress's presence in power for an overwhelming period after independence pre-empted the development of agitational instinct while also making it "too responsible" to be effective as opposition.
The possible tone of discussion and the coming line of questioning of workers suggest that Congress may be eager to change its political style.
