When asked about contesting elections alone in Delhi, Chakravarty said the party must balance maintaining alliances in each state and facing elections alone in order to strengthen the party. He also dismissed claims that Sheila Dikshit’s legacy is being ignored in the Delhi elections.Responding to a question on whether the Congress president, the working committee or the former president calls the shots in the party, he acknowledged that there is a need to overhaul the system. “Contrary to what’s being projected, I would argue there are too many systems and processes in place. An overhaul is necessary,” he admitted, adding that the party is in search of a ‘new look’.Chakravarty emphasised that the Congress is the only party capable of uniting the country and governing effectively. However, he admitted the party has struggled to keep pace with the country’s evolving needs. “We need a fresh narrative, strategy and leadership. By 2029, 60-70% of voters will have started understanding politics only after 2009. While our strength is our understanding of the country, our negative is that we are old,” he said. He also noted that the current government has implemented several major policies originally proposed in the Congress manifesto. He advocated for labor-market-oriented politics, rationalising GST and reducing import duties to support domestic industries. “Apparel manufacturers in Coimbatore and Tiruppur are losing out to Bangladesh and Vietnam due to our import duty structures. Increase in export of apparel from Coimbatore and Tiruppur means employment for women and unskilled labour,” he said. Apart from rationalising GST, he suggested assuring the salaried class that there will be no income tax increases in the next four years. He also called for unanimity and consensus in economic and foreign policy. Criticising the government, he said, “Our concern is that it doesn’t consult or discuss policies,” questioning when the last all party meeting on foreign policy was held. Answering a question on countering the Hindutva narrative, he said that the version of Hinduism that is being propagated is not the true version and that is what the party would battle ideologically. Replying to a question about the Congress playing second fiddle to the DMK, he said that there is a clear pressure, demand and aspiration to build the party’s base and become stronger in Tamil Nadu. Earlier, he had also commented that the Lok Sabha election was an equal partnership and even DMK cadre would agree that factors like the Bharat Jodo Yatra and Rahul Gandhi played a vital role.
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