Rahul Gandhi urges Congress leaders to shun groupism, make earnest efforts to connect with people

New Delhi: Congress Vice President  Rahul  Gandhi on Friday suggested a performance-based "reward and punishment system" in Congress to tone up functioning of the organisation ahead of the Lok  Sabha  polls.

At an interaction with PCC chiefs and CLP leaders here, Rahul Gandhi said that there is a need for "fixing some definite criteria for ticket distribution". Rahul Gandhi said that four to five criteria should be fixed to decide eligibility of a candidate for giving them tickets during elections. The Congress leader urged  the  leaders to shun groupism and make earnest efforts to connect with the people.

"Rahul Gandhi said that both reward and punishment will follow. Those working seriously should be rewarded. Tasks will also be given. He said you set three four commitments for yourselves and I will see after some time whether you have fulfilled them or not," a state leader, who attended the meeting, said.

Rahul Gandhi also told the state leaders that they should not work only from election point of view but also aim to strengthen the organisation. He said this while intervening during an interaction with the PCC chiefs and CLP leaders, which saw a total of 32 leaders expressing their views on the first day of the two-day exercise. "Everybody must realise his weaknesses and accept that. We can progress only then," he said during the interaction, which also involved issues like that of alliances in states, early resolution of  Telangana row, how to cope with regional parties and strategy to counter Narendra  Modi's  media campaign.

Rahul Gandhi said that if the party workers are vocal, then there will be not much need to counter such campaign on television or media.

Rahul Gandhi in Amethi addresses congress workers.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi is on his first visit to his parliament constituency Amethi, after taking over the new assignment. He got a rousing welcome at Fursatganj airport where people gathered in large numbers to greet their favourite leader. "Whenever I come to Amethi, I feel that I have come home. My relationship with Amethi is not political, but it is my family" said Rahul Gandhi striking an emotional chord with the people.

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.

Rahul Gandhi interacts with Amethi people.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi is on his first visit to his parliament constituency Amethi, after taking over the new assignment. He got a rousing welcome at Fursatganj airport where people gathered in large numbers to greet their favourite leader. “Whenever I come to Amethi, I feel that I have come home. My relationship with Amethi is not political, but it is my family” said Rahul Gandhi striking an emotional chord with the people.

Rahul Gandhi addresses congress workers in Amethi.

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Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi is on his first visit to his parliament constituency Amethi, after taking over the new assignment. “Whenever I come to Amethi, I feel that I have come home. My relationship with Amethi is not political, but it is my family” said Rahul Gandhi striking an emotional chord with the people.

Newly appointed Congress VP Rahul Gandhi wants more leadership to emerge in the party

Rahul Gandhi is the new Congress Vice President. The former party General Secretary Rahul Gandhi always cared for all sections of the society. Congress is very hopeful that the party will reach new heights under Rahul Gandhi's progressive leadership.

Rahul Gandhi in Agartala: The youth in Tripura will oust the Left Front Govt.

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi while addressing a mammoth election rally in Agartala at Tripura on Tuesday expressed hope that the youth in the country will oust the ‘anti-people’ Left Front government in Tripura as they had done in Kerala and West Bengal. He took on the ruling Left Front Government by saying that the central funds to Tripura for development are being diverted to the CPM party fund. "The Centre sent huge amount of money for the state's development but it is diverted to CPI-M party funds. The fund for development, for construction of roads, for MNREGA all go to that party," said Rahul Gandhi.

While describing the incumbent Left Front government in Tripura as anti-people Rahul Gandhi appealed to the people to remove it in the coming February 14 state Assembly polls. He urged the people to elect a Congress government so that they could enjoy the benefit of good governance. "There is an allegation against Congress that it has an understanding with CPI-M. But we have the understanding of uprooting the CPI-M from power and throwing them out. We have ousted them from Kerala and West Bengal and now time has come to throw them out of Tripura," he said. “We with the help of the youth here will remove them from here too” declared the Congress leader.

Narrating his personal experience, the Congress Vice President continued, "While I was coming here, I asked the driver of my car what does he feel about the 20 years of Left rule and he replied that nothing would be available unless you are a relative of a CPI-M leader. He also told me that the Left Front leaders are seen only during the election time. This partisan government should be voted out if people want the benefits of good governance." Striking an emotional chord with the people, Rahul Gandhi said, "Delhi is not far from your state and do not think that your problems will not be addressed because you are from a small state. All states are equal to us - small or big."

He also assured that all the promises made in the Congress’ election manifesto would be implemented. The government employees would get a pay structure according to the recommendations of the sixth pay commission, assured Rahul Gandhi and asked the people to vote Congress to power for a direct relation between Delhi and Tripura for its development. The Congress with the help of the youth in Tripura will oust the Left Front Government from here too. “The Communists are nowhere, except in China and Tripura. We saw what happened in erstwhile communist-ruled Soviet Russia, Romania and Czechoslovakia where the people ultimately threw communist rulers to oblivion. Even communists in China told me that it was time for communists in India to understand the market and make changes in the ideology. The ideology of communists in India has become obsolete and people are bound to suffer if they are in power” he added.

"There is a government between Delhi and people of Tripura, which eat up all the money for development. We want to set up a direct relation between the people of Tripura and Delhi, which is possible if you bring in Congress at the helm of affairs here," he said. For the Congress, people came first and then the party, while for the CPI-M, party is their priority and people are secondary.