Congress takes cue from RSS, to have preraks to increase outreach

Taking a cue from BJP and RSS, who have "panna pramukhs" and full-time 'pracharaks' respectively, Congress has decided to appoint "preraks" to increase its outreach, spread its ideology and make people aware about party's stand on various issues.

Sources said preraks would act as messengers of the Congress and will reach out to the people spreading its word and serving its cause. This will also help in strengthening the party at the grassroots apart from increasing its outreach.

The sources said preraks will conduct monthly sangathan samvads (organisational dialogues) at every district party office to discuss current national and state political issues.

They would also help in busting any myth surrounding the Congress party and its decisions.

The idea of having preraks emerged during a day-long workshop the Congress organised in Delhi on September 3, months after former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi asked the party to follow the RSS model of mass contact to win elections.

Three preraks are likely to be appointed at a divisional level and each division would constitute of four-five districts. Adequate representation would be ensured to women and candidates from SC, ST, OBC and minority communities.

"Each prerak will have to undergo a training of 5-7 days to build their knowledge and confidence," said the source.

Initially, the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) incharge training would identify individuals who are to be inducted as preraks and, in due course of time, more of them will be trained to serve the party cause.

The state units have been asked to identify preraks immediately and submit a list to the All India Congress Committee by the end of September.

The entire model, which marks a significant step to increase the party's outreach, is apparently based on the way RSS functions relying on a door-to-door campaign by its pracharaks.

Interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Thursday reviewed the progress of the training process and membership drive at a meeting of general secretaries, in-charges of states, state chiefs and legislature party leaders.

The Congress has suffered a series of debacles in elections and lost its successive Lok Sabha poll earlier this year. The party could increase its Lok Sabha tally by only eight seats compared to 2014. The party has also lost many assembly polls with BJP gaining ground in areas it was considered weak.

After the Lok Sabha poll, party leaders had suggested for revamp of the party's organisational structure to meet the emerging political challenges.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), has pracharaks or full-time volunteers. While the pracharaks do not take part in elections, preraks are not likely to have any such bar.