Rahul Gandhi visits Rajasthan; holds discussions with leaders to strengthen Congress

Bikaner: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi who is on a two-day visit to Rajasthan, interacted with party workers and leaders in Bikaner on Wednesday  and discussed strategy on revitalising the party ahead of state assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

Ticket distribution, fine-tuning the party for upcoming assembly and general elections, and ties between the party and government were on the agenda of several meetings Rahul Gandhi had with Congress workers. The Congress Vice President, who arrived here on Wednesday morning, also took feedback from workers and leaders about the party's affairs and political situation in the state.

Rahul Gandhi had the view that the party at the block-level should be strengthened and leaders empowered. He also suggested a proper coordination between them and the government.”MLAs and MPs should also work in coordination with the party" added the Congress leader.

Rahul Gandhi suggested strong candidates of NSUI and Youth Congress should be given a chance to contest elections and not those who were defeated twice or more. The Congress candidates who lost in the assembly and Lok Sabha elections were also invited for the meetings.

It was a rare initiative taken by one of the party's top leaders to directly interact with the elected leaders from the lowest rung of democratic bodies in rural as well as urban areas- councillors from the municipalities were also invited for the meeting. In turn, the panchayat and municipal leaders expressed their woes before the party vice-president on how the senior leaders in the government sidelined them and ignored their suggestions while taking policy decisions. Rahul Gandhi has given an assurance of strengthening the grassroots workers' voices.

At another session with the elected leaders of Youth Congress and NSUI, the Congress vice-president advocated the idea of the youth being given the chance to turnaround the party's prospects in regions where its senior leaders have consistently failed. For the upcoming assembly elections, Rahul asked chief minister Ashok Gehlot to consider fielding Youth Congress and NSUI leaders from constituencies that the party consecutively lost in the past two elections.

In his first interaction with the elected representatives of panchayatiraj bodies from rural Rajasthan on Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi praised these grassroots leaders for their deep understanding of a common man's issues. Rahul Gandhi said these party workers made for better leaders as compared to the "helicopter netas" (high-status leaders) or the "parachute netas" (leaders with no local connect).

Rahul Gandhi strikes chord with the youth in Meghalaya

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday striking an emotional chord with the youth in Meghalaya appealed to them to help his party build a "better Meghalaya". Rahul Gandhi was addressing an election rally at Nongpoh three days before Meghalaya goes to the polls on February 23.

"I would appeal to the youth who can work with the people and for a better Meghalaya to come and join the party. When I see the youths of the region working in Delhi and Bangalore, I feel nice. They are working there because they are capable and can compete with the best," he said.

The youth acknowledged the appeal by the Congress leader with cheers. Earlier, while campaigning, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had highlighted the economic gains made by the state in the past five years and Congress President Sonia Gandhi had touched on local issues like illegal mining and illegal migration.

Rahul Gandhi said even though Congress has capable leaders, it needs to produce the next generation of leaders from different states to take the country forward. He also addressed election meetings at Mawkyrwat in South West Khasi Hills and Williamnagar in East Garo Hills.

Rahul Gandhi in Meghalaya exhorts the youth to join politics

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi  while addressing Congress rallies in Meghalaya urged the youth to join politics to eradicate corruption and to improve the country. "Corruption is an issue in the whole country and we have to ensure that we remove it from the political system. That is why it is so important that new young faces come into the political scene," said Rahul Gandhi.

"I am in politics for many years but I am not happy with the way politics works. There are many things we can improve," Rahul Gandhi said and added: "If we really want to change politics, then we have to bring youngsters into the political system. Youngsters who are sensitive to the views of the common man, youngsters who feel the pain of the poor person, youngsters who suffer when they see a bad road, youngsters who suffer when they see that their people do not have the medical facility they need."

The newly appointed Congress Vice President also said "It is only when we open the doors of politics, and bring in these youngsters, that politics will really change. And I see many of those youngsters in this ground and I want you to enter into the political system". He said that Congress does not believe in favouring one community or one group of people. "We believe in helping everybody, in moving everybody together forward. If we want to really move this forward, if we want development, we need to think about empowering local government and the local people," said Rahul Gandhi.

Praising Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, Rahul Gandhi said: "He is a hard working person and he thinks about the future of your state and you have your government in Delhi which is also a Congress government, which wants to support the growth of Meghalaya. I want both these governments to work together to bring massive developments to the state." "There are large amounts of money sent from Delhi to the state, and we need to ensure that that money gets to the people. Rajiv Gandhi used to say that for every one rupee that is sent, 15 paise reached the last person. We need to change that so that our people can benefit."

Rahul Gandhi visits Odisha, holds talks with grass root Congress leaders

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi concluded his two-day visit to Odisha on Tuesday with a warning to those trying to disrupt party unity. He interacted with Congress leaders at all levers from top to bottom.

Rahul exhorted partymen to work unitedly to bring the party back to power in the State. He offered a   3-point solution to improve the party’s prospects: offering tickets in time, bringing in unity and empowering grassroots leaders. Addressing party leaders in Cuttack, the Rahul Gandhi said that the Congress has a healthy vote share of about 30 per cent in the State and it requires discipline and unity to ensure a victory in the next elections. After meeting officials of the party in the State for two days, Rahul Gandhi said he was aware that a few individuals are unnecessarily trying to create indiscipline and disunity weakening the party and that he would take ‘’strict disciplinary action’’ against such disruptive activities.

The visit comes at an opportune time when the BJD Government is desperately trying to counter anti-incumbency and internal dissension in the party by announcing many populist schemes. In fact, Rahul Gandhi criticised Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for ‘falsely claiming’ different programmes and schemes as his own. The BJD Government is using the funds provided by the Congress Government at the Centre for launching the schemes. The people of Odisha are aware of the scheming of the BJD and will give an apt reply in the elections, Rahul told mediapersons as he wound up his two-day visit to the State here.

The Congress scion addressed the Extended State Executive of Pradesh Congress Committee, emphasising on discipline and unity within the party. The two days have been very eventful. The meetings with the panchayat, block and district functionaries have given a clear picture on the state of affairs here, he said. “The party organisation surely is short of discipline which needs to be addressed. I do not have a magic wand but the Congress sure has the power to absorb the shocks and take a course correction’’, he stressed. Speaking on the outcome of the two-day visit, OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik said Rahul Gandhi has a clear vision for the party in the State. “He has given his advice on resurrecting the organisation and  we will be working towards implementing them at the earliest’’, Niranjan said.

Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh said the extended executive committee was highly successful. “Rahul has laid a roadmap for us to follow and achieve the goals,” party leaders  indicated.

Rahul Gandhi: UPA Govt. committed for early solution to Naga problem

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday assured, while addressing a well-attended Congress election rally in Nagaland, an early solution to the decades old Naga problem which would be 'honourable and acceptable to all sections of the people.

“UPA government will try all avenues to find a settlement of the Naga issue at the earliest so that peace can be ushered in the state for all round development,” said Rahul Gandhi said at public rallies at Mon and Tuensang. He also lashed out at the Naga Peoples Front(NPF)-led Democratic Alliance of Nagaland(DAN) government for failing to deliver in the last 10 years of its regime. The Congress leader informed that enough funds had been pumped in the state for development but nothing has been done and funds were pocketed by the people in power.

Rahul Gandhi urged the people to vote for Congress in the February 23 assembly polls and see the changes it would bring to the people. The future of the Naga people is bleak due to rampant corruption and bad governance by the DAN government and their present 'pathetic condition' is due to the governance of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio. Backward districts need more development, he said and claimed that Rio had developed the backward areas 'only through papers and lip-services'.

Promising equal development if voted to power, Rahul Gandhi said backward areas needed more development. The Congress Vice President cited the example of his travel from helipad to Mon which took 30 minutes due to bad road conditions. He said enough funds have been sanctioned in the road sector, but the conditions remain poor.

Rahul Gandhi said enough funds had been pumped in the state for development but in the ground nothing has been done and that funds were pocketed by the people who are in power. He said the condition of Naga people was pathetic due to bad governance by Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rios government.