The Onus Is On Rahul Gandhi To Devise Poll Strategy: CWC

New Delhi: Congress Working Committee members said on Friday that "struggle for people" will be the way forward for the party and urged President Rahul Gandhi to prepare a comprehensive strategy in view of the coming electoral battles.

Briefing reporters about the first meeting of the party's highest decision-making body chaired by Rahul Gandhi, party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said that members recalled the struggle party had done in the years it had been out of power including between 1977 and 1980 and between 1999 and 2004.

"There was a clear view of Rahul Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and other members that struggle among people will be the way forward for the Congress.

"Raising issues of people, struggling for these issues in towns and cities and building a consensus, this will be the Congress way. The party will vigrously carry forward its legacy of struggle," he said.

With Congress facing stiff electoral challenges, the CWC urged Rahul Gandhi to energise the party organisation at the earliest, while he also mentioned the challenges for the party in the assembly polls next year.

Surjewala said former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also referred to the challenges and the need to for the party to fulfill its responsibilities.

The CWC also expressed deep concern over Modi's allegations against Manmohan Singh during the Gujarat elections.

The Congress got its highest number of seats in Gujarat assembly polls in the last 27 years but party lost power in Himachal Pradesh. The party's geographical space has squeezed since it lost the 2014 Lok Sabha polls with Punjab and Karnataka being the only major states it rules now.

Karnataka, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are among states that will go to the polls next year.