New Delhi, Feb 19 (PTI) The top Congress leadership on Wednesday decided to empower its district units and make them the central point of its organisational transformation, while party chief Mallikarjun Kharge stressed on holding office-bearers accountable for poll outcomes.

The Congress top brass also decided to take out 'relay yatras' across the country starting mid-April, which will conclude on January 26, 2026, while fulfilling the party's resolution passed at the Belagavi working committee meeting held last December.

At a meeting of party general secretaries and in-charges of various states, the Congress leaders deliberated for around seven hours on ways to strengthen the organisation at the grassroots level, and chalked out a detailed plan.

It was the first meeting of the revamped party office-bearers after a major organisational rejig. It was also the first meeting of the top party brass held at the new AICC headquarters at Indira Bhawan.

Several issues, including the recent appointment of the chief election commissioner and the government's "control" over the poll body, voter list "manipulation", price rise and growing economic disparities in the society were discussed at the meeting.

All the leaders spoke on strengthening the organisation at the grassroots level and decided to make its district units the "central point" of the revamped organisation.

In his inaugural address, Kharge did some plain-speaking with the new office-bearers, stressing that they will be held accountable for future election results and for the organisational strength in states under their charge, asking them to be wary of "ideologically weak turncoats".

Kharge emphasised the importance of promoting those who are committed to the ideology of the Congress and "stand with us like a rock even in adverse circumstances".

He also hinted at more changes in the organisation, saying while some changes have already taken place, more are in the offing.

"I want to talk to you about the most important thing of accountability. You all will be held accountable for revamping the organisations in the states and for all future election results," he told the office-bearers.

Among those who attended the meeting were former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, senior leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K C Venugopal and all general secretaries and in-charges from various states.

As per sources, Rahul Gandhi said that the district units of the party have to be made the central point, rather than the AICC, and only this will help the party fight the BJP and Narendra Modi.

Supporting Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said if done sincerely, the move will yield good results after some time.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said the proposal made in the 'Nav Satyagraha' in Belgaum was discussed, and it was decided to take out a 'Save Constitution National Yatra' in every state, district and block for the next one year.

The party has decided to hold the next session of the AICC in Gujarat in the first fortnight of April, Ramesh said.

Sources said the Congress may begin its nation-wide 'relay yatras' from Ahmedabad on April 14, the birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar.

Sources also said that the party will work on strengthening and empowering the 800-odd District Congress Committees (DCCs) to help revamp the organisation at the grassroots level.

As part of their empowerment, the party is thinking of holding direct elections to the DCCs to infuse new strength in them and help attract fresh faces who are ideologically inclined, among other things.

Ramesh later lamented that the leaders discussed the "weakening" of constitutional institutions, especially the Election Commission.

"This is the biggest threat to our democracy," Ramesh said.

"We discussed the manner in which the Election Commission has been systematically emasculated, weakened, its powers taken away and the manner in which it has refused to share complete information on electoral rolls with political parties in a form that can be systematically analysed.

"There is great fear, great suspicion. We have clear evidence that in state after state, lakhs of voters are bogus voters, genuine names have been deleted, and lakhs of bogus names have been added. This was true in Haryana, Maharashtra, as well as Delhi," Ramesh said.

In Belagavi, the party decided that 2025 would be the year of organisational reforms and announced a 'Sangthan Srujan Programme', Ramesh said.

At the meeting, Kharge also flagged the issue of alleged "voter list manipulation" and claimed that it is happening on a large scale during elections.

Highlighting the removal of the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel for the CEC, Kharge said, "The government does not even trust the impartiality of the chief justice of the country. This matter was to be heard in the Supreme Court, but the government announced the new CEC before that." Kharge also raised the issues of inflation and unemployment, and accused the Modi government of completely failing on these fronts.

Many times, people are inducted in a hurry to strengthen the party, Kharge said, adding that they could be weak in ideology and run away during difficult times.

Kharge also said that Delhi voted for change and lauded the efforts of the state leadership in putting up a good fight in the recent assembly polls despite lack of resources.

The Congress chief said the party leaders must raise issues of public interest in the next five years and strive to make the organisation emerge as the principal opposition in Delhi.

Hitting out at the Centre, he said the prime minister failed to stop the insult of Indians deported from the US.

"Despite Modi Ji's visit, America is sending back Indian citizens handcuffed as before. Vegetarians were given non-vegetarian food. Our government has failed to protest this insult properly," Kharge alleged.

"America is also hurting us deeply in economic matters. They imposed reverse tariffs on us, but the prime minister did not even protest against the move. They are forcibly imposing a loss-making deal on us, which our government is silently accepting. This is clearly an insult to India and its people," the Congress chief claimed. PTI ASK SKC ARI ARI