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The Congress's second AICC session in Gujarat post-Independence is being held on the 100th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's party presidency and the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Congress leaders will huddle in Ahmedabad on April 8-9 to brainstorm on challenges and key issues of national polity, while deciding on a roadmap for the revival of the party's electoral fortunes and organisational strengthening. Sources said the party is likely to make a slew of announcements regarding its organisational rejuvenation, including giving more powers to district Congress presidents, and ensuring accountability.
The party will also finalise its strategy for the upcoming assembly polls this year and the next year.
The grand old party has announced that the Ahmedabad session will be themed "Nyaypath: Sankalp, Samarpan and Sangharsh (path to justice: resolve, commitment and struggle)", with more that 1,700 elected and co-opted AICC members attending the main conclave on April 9.
On April 8, an extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) will meet at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Memorial.
The AICC session will take place on April 9, with around 1,725 elected AICC members and co-opted members attending, along with MPs, ministers and other senior leaders, on the banks of the Sabarmati river between Sabarmati Ashram and Kochrab Ashram.
Multiple important resolutions are expected to be passed at the session. The Congress had also set up a drafting committee for the session.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's party presidency and the 150th birth anniversary of Patel, both iconic figures born in Gujarat.
The Congress has had a historical connection with Gujarat as its stalwarts, Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel, hailed from there and the party has held five of its sessions in the state, with each of those contributing in shaping the country's history.
The upcoming All India Congress Committee (AICC) session in Ahmedabad on April 8-9 will be the party's sixth in the state and the second post independence. It will also be the Congress's third session in Ahmedabad since its formation in 1885.
Congress general secretary in-charge of Gujarat Mukul Wasnik said on Sunday that the session would be attended by party president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and other top leaders.
He said all key issues facing the country and political challenges will be discussed at the session and the direction of Indian politics shaped.
In the run-up to the AICC session, top Congress leadership has held meetings with its district unit chiefs in three batches and stressed that the District Congress Committees (DCC) will soon be given a lot of powers with which their responsibility, as well as accountability, will also increase.
The party has also said the district units will be given more voice in selecting candidates for polls.
Emphasising the role of DCCs, former party president Rahul Gandhi had said without them, the party cannot thrive or succeed. He had urged them to help build a stronger Congress and a fairer India. This is the first time in years that the party organised such meetings with district chiefs.
Throwing light on the history if AICC sessions held in Gujarat, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said, "The Indian National Congress was established on December 28, 1885. It first met in Gujarat at Ahmedabad during December 23-26, 1902, under the presidentship of Surendra Nath Bannerjee."
The second time the Congress met in Gujarat was at Surat during December 26-27, 1907, under the presidentship of Rash Behary Ghose.
The third time the Congress met in Gujarat was again in Ahmedabad during December 27-28, 1921, under the presidentship of Hakim Ajmal Khan.
The Congress met in Gujarat for a fourth time at Haripura during February 19-21, 1938, under the presidentship of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
The party had met in Gujarat for the fifth time at Bhavnagar during January 6-7, 1961, under the presidentship of Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy.
The session at Ahmedabad comes at a time when the Congress has faced a series of reverses in polls in Haryana, Maharashtra and Delhi after a good showing in the Lok Sabha polls.
It also comes at a time when the party is getting battle-ready to take on the NDA in Bihar along with its INDIA bloc partners in the assembly elections later this year.
Next year, the party would be fighting key electoral battles in the states of Kerala, Assam, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.