Around 350 delegates from across the state have been asked to attend the session where leaders will explain the role of Congress workers in the current political situation. Subrata Mukherjee, working president of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC), said: “The party wants to send a message to all its workers that even after maintaining an alliance with the Trinamool Congress, Congress should function with a separate identity. It is a difficult job, but we have to perform on our own political agenda.”

At the session, documents will be submitted on the economic policies of the Congress, political situation in Bengal and party’s plan to rebuild the organisation. “We want to inform our workers about differences between other political parties — be it Left or Right,” Mukherjee said. The session will be attended by all WBPCC members, senior district functionaries, including district presidents. Ghulam Nabi Azad and Keshava Rao are likely be present as AICC observers.

According to sources in the WBPCC, the Congress workers are finding it very difficult to continue with party activities at the grassroots level — especially in nine South Bengal districts known as the stronghold of the Trinamool. There are reports that post Lok Sabha elections, a considerable number of Congress workers have joined the Trinamool due to lack of proper leadership at the block and district levels.

Congress leaders have another cause of concern that has forced them to organise such a session. According to the 2009 Lok Sabha poll results, the voteshare of the party in South Bengal have reduced to seven percent from 11 per cent in 2004. Moreover, Congress, seen as a North Bengal-based party, lost one Assembly seat to the Left Front in North Bengal’s Goalpokhore in the recent bypolls.