What began as a three-day brainstorming session turned out to be the relaunching of Sonia Gandhi .... Depending upon how her destiny shapes up, future generations of Congressmen could well look back on Panchmarhi as a milestone, whether as the beginning of the  rejuvenation or the accelerated decline of the Congress ..

... For her, it was a political education, a first-hand experience of how the party worked. For the demoralised Congress, it held out a credible promise of rejuvenation. The Panchmarhi declaration is an exercise in semantic sophistry, with every clause open to interpretation. In all respects, the party has kept its options open, failing to take a clear-cut stand on any issue. But under all the double-barrelled rhetoric, there are clear glimpses of the Congress' hidden agenda ... The final document reflects an uneasy compromise between two schools of thought in the Congress. One holds that the era of one-party rule ended in 1989 and the party had best reconcile itself to coalitions. The other feels coalitions are a passing phase and the party should not make short-term compromises ...

Sonia's statement that her party "would not shirk its constitutional obligations" could be interpreted in ... two ways ... The Congress is not necessarily obliged to form a government if the BJP falls - it could just as well opt for dissolution of Parliament and elections ... The implication is clear: if the BJP falls, the Congress will form a coalition government, but as an interim arrangement.

The party's stand on electoral adjustment is vague. While the majority view is against tie-ups with other parties ... at the state level, such arrangements are likely.

The dominant, anti-alliance faction in the Congress leadership has attracted the ire of the non-BJP, non-Left parties by describing them as "casteist and unreliable".

... When the Panchmarhi declaration speaks of the "revival and renewal" of the party in these states, it is talking of taking over the RLM's votebase and a polarisation of the Indian polity ...

Senior leaders acknowledge that Sonia has managed to boost the party's morale, but if the Congress is to fulfil its agenda and return to power on its own in a bipolar political scenario, she has miles to go.

The policies aired through the Panchmarhi Declaration are meant to turn the tide in favour of the party at the assembly polls.

The Congress has made it clear that it aims at emerging once again as the party that will rule from New Delhi. It has said a definite no to alliances with other political parties as it views coalition politics as a transitory phase. Much to the annoyance of Mulayam Singh Yadav and Laloo Yadav it has turned down tie-ups with them to ascend the seat of power in the Centre.

There was a cry for a 'proper thrust' on certain issues which are expected to project the Congress once again as the champion of the poor, the backwards, SC/ ST, minorities and women. The Pachmarhi declaration mentions erosion of affirmative action taken in favour of these sections of society and pledges to work for them.

For the first time ever there is mention of increasing their representation in the party organisation ... An amended constitution may mean a reservation for these sections in party posts at a later date.

"There is a perception now that the Congress is anti-poor. To change this, we have repackaged Manmohan Singh's economic policy ...

Manmohan Singh himself explained that economic reforms as envisaged by the Congress are meant to increase the nation's capacity to invest more in social and human development. "We want to emphasise that the Congress is committed to a socialistic pattern of society. Somewhere down the past few years this has got diluted in the eyes of the people and cost us voters," he said.

The policy on organisational matters which emerged at Panchmarhi attempts to do away with groupism, muscle and money power and the marginalisation of the grassroot worker ...

For Sonia, who reinforced her status as the undisputed leader at Pachmarhi, the challenge lies in implementing the decisions.