Cong 'Chintan Shivir' likely in Jan

The proposed Shivir was mooted by Congress President Sonia Gandhi in the party's Plenary here in December 2010 but it could not materialise as both the government and the party kept battling one crisis after another since then.

The party is, meanwhile, holding a day-long strategy session named "dialogue meeting" at nearby Surajkund in Congress-ruled Haryana on November 9.

Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi has already clarified that the Surajkund meeting is not a Chintan Shivir and that the party indeed plans to hold such a camp later.

Sources in the AICC said the Chintan Shivir could now be planned after the Winter Session of Parliament comes to an end on December 20, the day when results of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections will also be declared.

In the dialogue session, top Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, cabinet ministers and ministers of state with independent charge will meet to discuss the current political and economic situation.

But, the Chintan Shivir is likely to be a bigger exercise with more representation from the states including chief ministers, PCC presidents and CLP leaders.

Sources in the party said though the date and venue of the Chintan Shivir has yet not been finalised, traditionally such camps are organised in party-ruled states.