Grand Outreach

BJP leader LK Advani's recent statement calling the UPA-II's return to power in 2009 "a mere default", drew a lot of fire from the Congress benches.

Party president Sonia Gandhi demanded an apology and the Congress expressed surprise at Advani's statement. Later, at a meeting of the Congress Core Committee before she left for foreign shores, Finance Minister P Chidambaram could not help but ask Sonia the inevitable question about the recent change in her behaviour.  While the media and naysayers were predicting a party rout in 2014 for its economic policies, she herself remained very calm, reaching out to adversaries like Sushma Swaraj and recalcitrant allies like Mulayam Singh Yadav alike with candour and confidence.

According to well placed party sources, Sonia told Chidambaram, one of  the most senior ministers, that the government had been unable to control inflation which was the responsibility of the people in the ministries. She also acknowledged that it would be difficult to run both the government and the party at the same time. She just had one appeal: please take into account proposals of the National Advisory Committee (NAC) and act on them.

Armed with statistics, Sonia impressed upon those present that certain legislations, if passed by the Parliament, would help the Congress win back some of its lost ground. Included in this list were the Right to Education Bill, Benami Bill, Whistleblowers Bill, Food Security Bill, Land Acquisition Bill and a few others.

"If they become acts, about 35 crore people in 28 states and seven Union territories would benefit and would, in the end, back the Congress. In addition to these acts, if mobile phone charges were either slashed all together or provided at low rates for below-the-poverty line (BPL) card holders, it would be nothing short of a publicity coup,'' she is reported to have told party leaders at the committee meeting.

At the same meeting, she told Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that due to the intransigence of opposition parties, there were more than 135 bills lying pending. If the same adjournment trend continued in the winter session – as it is bound to – some other means have to be adopted; namely either through the Union Cabinet or a last minute hustle in the final days of the Parliament.

But there are problems too. If there was too much hurry to push important bills down the Parliament's throat, it would inevitably lead to a chorus and speculation that UPA-II is planning General Elections earlier than expected.

The strategising moved onto another pitch. There is excitement about promotion for SC/ST employes in the government. On the other hand, there is considerable pressure from the bureaucracy in Gujarat for central intervention to restore order in the state. These two put together led to other conclusions. The Union home and law ministries have been asked to prepare a blue print for promotions for SC/ST officers. The understanding is that this blueprint could be introduced on the floor of the house and would leave adequate space for a constitutional amendment, should that be required.

According to well placed party sources, however, Attorney General Ghulam Vahanvati in his advisory sent to the Law Ministry has warned the government against repeating what Mayawati did during her stint as chief minister: a similar decision by her government was turned down by the Supreme Court leading to much egg on her face.

Sonia Gandhi's advisers have also told her that the Congress party organisation has not been able to project the gains of either the Congress or the government effectively enough. Interestingly, Ram Vilas Paswan is held out as an example of how to get the working class on one's side. As Union railway minister, he was instrumental in making coolies permanent employees of the Indian Railways; as Union communication minister, he offered a lot of freebies to the Class IV staff and won much accolades as a "reformer".

There is a lot of pressure on the party leadership to introduce free calls for BPL members. The Communications Ministry is working on a feasibility model estimated to cost about Rs 7,000 crores: the thrust of this model being worked out in conjunction with the Planning Commission aims at imposing little financial burden on the government and would want service providers to take up most of the cost that goes into making this programme a success.

Questions CPI's Atul Anjan, "When 20 per cent of the people in BPL category do not have electricity connections, what can they possibly do with mobile phones.''

In addition, there is more populism on the cards. The Congress think-tank has major plans for low cost housing, that being a significant part of the political constituency it wants to address. Included in this is improving the quality of over 120 lakh houses deemed "kuchcha". Through the NAC, Sonia has indicated the party would like money through rural housing schemes to tackle the housing shortage, pegged at Rs 40 lakh. Under the Indira Gandhi Housing Scheme, Rs 75,000 is proposed to be given to each aspirant from poor sections of the society for constructing homes.

A public-private model for this has been mooted and real estate companies have been asked to provide inputs. Manmohan Singh has already announced on August 15 the government's intent of providing power to all households under the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification Mission, an old target but now revisited with enthusiasm, keeping the 2014 elections in view.

There is more planned – now that the bills are stuck in the Parliament. Government officials say that with the health sector on top of the agenda, efforts are underway to convert the National Rural Health Mission into a National Health Mission. What does it entail? Free supply of medicines to BPL families. Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad told TSI it will be one of the most ambitious plans of the government.

To boost chances of employment for poor constituents, the Ministry of Employment has ambitious plans to set up the National Skill Development Authority. According to the details presented to the Planning Commission, to meet its goals, this authority will implement the government's employment programmes in conjunction with specialised companies. Its aim over the next five years is imparting technical knowledge to over eight crore people.

The important thing here is that those advising Sonia on the best moves ahead include half-a-dozen party workers and some secretary-level Congress functionaries, in addition to experts. That is why, say Congress workers, Madam looks so sure of herself.