Cong to come out with "Jaipur Declaration"

New Delhi, Jan 16: Congresss will come out with a “Jaipur Declaration” at its brainstorming session and the AICC meet concluding on Sunday charting the course of action at a time when Lok Sabha polls are just 16 months away. Party Chief Sonia Gandhi's opening remarks at the ‘Chintan Shivir', which starts on Friday, will set the tone of the brainstorming session to be attended by some 350 invitees.With Rahul Gandhi virtually leading the political charge, youth is going to be the flavour of the political season at Jaipur with Congress having invited as many as 160-odd young delegates who had been office bearers of Indian Youth Congress and NSUI. This is for the first time such a high representation is being given to youth at such meets.Party general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi said the brainstorming session will be held on Friday and Saturday in five different groups deliberating on various issues including Emerging Political Challenges and Organisational Strength.The Prime Minister and Rahul Gandhi will address the AICC meeting and they, along with the Congress chief, would be participating in different sub groups for brief period, Dwivedi told reporters on the preparations for the conclave. Dwivedi said discussion papers on the five issues, including on the political challenges, have been prepared but made it clear that they should not be treated as views of the party but merely papers to elicit suggestions.The consensus on the issues will form part of the draft ‘Jaipur Declaration' which will be adopted by the AICC meeting having 1,000-odd delegates.The Congress conclave could be a repeat of its Shimla meet nine years ago on the issue of political alliances with the party deciding against going it alone in the next Lok Sabha elections.The general opinion at Shimla in 2003 was unity of secular forces as Congress was getting ready for the first experiement of sharing power at the Centre after 8 years in the opposition.