Congress' formula for 'one family one ticket' being discussed

Udaipur, May 13 (PTI) The Congress is considering enforcing the 'One family, one ticket' formula with the exception only when another family member has been working for at least five years in the party.

The party is also considering capping at five years holding of a post with a cooling off period of three years and setting up of an assessment wing to monitor performance of office bearers.

Addressing a press conference ahead of the start of the party's 'Chintan Shivir' on Friday, Congress general secretary Ajay Maken said "big changes" are in store for the party organisation and it will completely transform its working style going forward.

He said a proposal is being considered that 50 per cent party positions be reserved for those less than 50 years of age in party committees at every level of the Congress organisation.

He said there is unanimity on establishing mandal committees between booth and block level in party organisation.

Maken, who is a member of the coordination committee on organisation for discussion at the Chintan Shivir, said the party is deliberating on setting up a 'public insight department' to ascertain views of the people and carry out surveys for getting battle ready for elections The Congress is also considering setting up an 'assessment wing' to gauge performance of office bearers, he said.

"We are also working on a mechanism for enforcing stricter discipline," he said.

The three-day 'Nav Sankalp Chintan Shivir' is being held in the backdrop of a string of electoral defeats and dissent in the party for the past many years.

The Shivir will focus on time-bound party restructuring, finding ways to combat politics of polarisation and getting battle-ready for upcoming electoral challenges.

It will begin Friday afternoon following which over 400 delegates will discuss subject-specific issues across six groups.

These discussions will continue on the first and second day and the conclusions will be recorded in the form of a declaration, a draft of which will be discussed at the CWC meeting to be held there on the third and last day.