Political alliances to figure in Cong's Surajkund meet

At a time when the party and the government are facing tough challenges at political and economic fronts, the Congress' day-long 'dialogue session' on Friday is likely to brainstorm on the strategy ahead and take a view on the issue of alliances in different states.

The invitations for the dialogue meeting have been sent to all Cabinet ministers, ministers of state (independent charges), All India Congress Committee general secretaries, AICC in-charges for states, members of Congress Working Committee and members of the party executive.

"We do such meetings from time to time. Every party plans how to increase its baseline, to motivate party workers," party spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary said.

Party sources said that the dialogue meeting (Samvad Baithak) will virtually set the agenda for the larger brainstorming at Chintan Shivir, which is likely to be organised in January next year.

There is also a likelihood that the party may discuss the issue of alliances in the states in the Saturday meeting. The dialogue session is happening before the much-talked about organisational reshuffle in which the in-charges of many states are to be replaced.

Party General Secretary Janardhan Dwivedi had said that it would be an informal meeting which will discuss economic challenges and manifesto implementation.

Reservation for backward Muslims was one of the promises made in the manifesto, which is yet to see the light of the day.

The dialogue session comes after the public meeting on November 4, which saw Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul strongly backing the economic reform measures initiated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.