New Delhi:
Six straight hours of discussions, no lunch break and no media. And a half-hour bus ride from Delhi for all, including senior Central ministers, who have been instructed not to use their official cars with red beacons or
lal battis. The only exception, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Around 75 top Congress leaders will meet in Surajkund, the preferred spot for political brainstorming this season, and discuss strategy on Friday. The delegates have been asked, in a letter written by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, to report sharp at 8 am at the Congress office, where seniors like AK Antony, P Chidambaram will board the two air-conditioned buses, picnic style.
Surajkund is a picnic town on the outskirts of the national capital and was hitherto known best for a cultural fair in February. This year it has become a political hot-spot. Last month the BJP national executive was also held in this Haryana town.
The Congress has pegged its meet as a
samvaad baithak or a dialogue session; it will discuss the political situation, the economic situation and will review the Congress' manifesto implementation starting 10 in the morning, party spokesman Janardhan Dwivedi said today.
It is a closed-door meeting, with no media presence, save a five-minute photo-op before Congress president Sonia Gandhi sets the ball rolling with her opening remarks, which will set the tone for the first discussion on politics.
After that, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will speak on economic challenges and a debate on issue will be initiated by Finance Minister P Chidambaram.
The Congress leaders will work through lunch and the discussion on manifesto implementation will round off the day. All Congress ministers at the centre, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretaries, Congress Working Committee members and members of the Congress' executive have been invited. Mr Dwivedi said all of them had accepted the invitation.