Rahul Gandhi’s tough message to Congress leaders – ‘Zero tolerance to groupism'

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi warned Congress leaders against any act of groupism within the party and also told the leaders that coordination and cooperation is the key to success.

In his first formal interaction with newly-appointed party office-bearers Rahul Gandhi categorically asserted that accountability will follow responsibility.

At a time when series of assembly polls are going to take place apart from Lok Sabha elections by May next, the Congress Vice President said that the  Congress party set up should project a picture of a united family where the young give respect to elders and draw from their experience. Rahul Gandhi said the Congress leaders should prepare a roadmap for the states under their charge and the secretaries should visit the district and block levels as per the plan.

The Congress leader who has frequently talked about the system being closed to youngsters, asked the leaders to help open it up. Congress general secretaries, who had in earlier meetings with Gandhi, complained of not having been given adequate responsibilities, have been given the charge this time and they will have to do lot of touring of the states. Seeking to put the house in order, Gandhi said factionalism is detrimental to the party’s interests and should be shunned.

Rahul Gandhi also chose the occassion to flag the issue of inadequate representation to women in the AICC and other party wings. “Rahul Gandhi talked about how to ensure 50 percent representation to women in AICC…It’s not about reservation. It’s about their representation. When he observed that their (women) presence is not in the proportion it should be, he said the presence of women is less but it will definitely be 50 per cent in the coming two-three years,” party spokesperson Bhakta Charan Das told reporters after the meeting.