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).

Sonia Gandhi :We as the Congress Party must work united, to come up to the people’s expectations

“The time has come to work together, as the people of our country have great expectations from our Congress party. And, only by fulfilling the aspirations of  people, we will definitely get the mandate again in the coming Lok Sabha  elections, just a little more than a year away from now,” declared Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

She in her concluding address on the concluding day of on-going Chintan Shivir  (brainstorming session) here on Sunday, urged the party workers to gear-up for effective organizational thrusts at all levels, in a meaningful manner.

“ Its time to look within, as the party. What makes us different and unique compared to other political out-fits in the country, must be outlined very clearly. We must answer effectively to questions as why people should vote for the Congress,” categorically stated Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Congress-led UPA has completed eight and half years at the Centre. It has been a long journey. “We have come up a long way and we must apprise the people with our achievements. Be it about projects under UPA flagship or about various legislations like Right to Information Act ( RTI) and many others, we must project these to the people in general. We have to tell that we as a party have been deeply concerned for the social justice and economic parity among all sections of the society,” she stressed.

Notably, at the very outset of her address at about 10.30 am on Sunday here, Congress President Sonia Gandhi deliberated upon about the unfortunate incident of Delhi gang-rape on December 16 last year. She strongly forwarded that death of  the gang-rape victim in the nation’s capital would not go in vain.

“She ( gang rape victim) was brave and she symbolized the spirit of new India. I will personally see that every single woman and single girl in the country are safe and secure,”  strongly advocated Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

She also talked about reservation for women in the Parliament and she said that it was the vision of late Rajiv Gandhi who forwarded for women’s reservation in the Panchayati Raj system.

Talking about the issue of development as being a poll plank by many political parties, she said that as a party, the Congress is committed for overall development with social justice and economic parity for all.

She urged the party workers to expose all those (other political parties) which claim the UPA flagship projects as their own. Congress President Sonia Gandhi said, “We have not discriminated against any state and have given financial assistance, as required. But, many states claim the Central projects as their own, which we must expose.”

“Congress-led UPA at the Centre is doing all it can, for the overall development of the nation. We as the party must also get into effective mechanism to let people know what all we have done so far and what all we are doing for the country,” she said.

Talking about global economic slowdown and its effect on the Indian economy, Congress President said that some hard decisions have been taken to keep away the likely damages on our economy. “We as the Congress Party must make people aware about these facts and the necessity of the decisions, taken in the interest of the nation,” she focused. She also talked about international relations and said that on accepted civilised structures, the country would go for it with any other country. 

  

In a statement declared from the dais of the Chintan Shivir, Congress President Sonia Gandhi said that the Congress party has been led by great people like Mahatma Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shashtri, Indira Gandhi., Maulana Azad, Dr B R Ambedkar, Rajiv Gandhi  and many others, to make India a modern country as it is today.

“We as the Congress Party have been fortunate to have been led by great visionaries and now, with their ideals, we must surge ahead to come up to the expectations of the people of this country,” announced Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Sonia Gandhi at AICC session: Tackling corruption, safety of women should be the priorities

“I will continue to press for women reservation Bill; Delhi Gang-rape victim’s death will not go in vain”

Congress President Sonia Gandhi today addressed a meeting of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in Jaipur on the last day of the Chintan Shivir that began on Friday. “I am delighted by the active participation of our young leaders at the Shivir. The Chintan Shivir allowed us to introspect on key national and international issues” said the Congress President.

Referring her concern over corruption which according to her is deep rooted in the entire system, Sonia Gandhi said “Let me reiterate corruption at all levels is a deep rooted malice and all sections of society are affected by it. As a party we must lead struggle to combat its effect. At the last AICC session, corruption was major issue. I laid out a five-point action plan then and the government has worked on it.”  “We have introduced the Lokpal bill in Parliament. We have introduced new path-breaking legislation for addressing public grievances and to protect whistleblowers” added the Congress President.

Touching upon the game changing policy of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Sonia Gandhi said “We also launched the historic 'Aap Ka Paisa Aap Ke Haath' scheme, which will stop corruption by middlemen”.

Sonia Gandhi also talked about the recent gang rape incident in Delhi that invited wide protests across the country. “The barbaric gang-rape of a young woman in Delhi has shaken the country. She embodied the spirit of an aspirational India. We will ensure her death will not go in vain” said the Congress President.

“Gender issues were discussed at the Chintan Shivir. The Congress has been at the forefront in the struggle to empower women, and it will continue to do so. Every woman has the fundamental right to feel safe and secure. Public figures made unacceptable remarks against women. We cannot tolerate mindsets that lead to crimes against women and children” she underlined.

Sonia Gandhi then declared “I assure you I will continue to press for a law for 30 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and assemblies”.

Exhorting the leaders to go to the people and explain the Congress’s achievements, the party leader continued “Today is also the time for the party to introspect and see how we are better than our opponents. We need to clearly explain to the people why we are a better political choice. We have the support of all sections of the society. The Congress is especially concerned about the welfare of the backward sections, women and farmers”.

She also sent out a warning; “We will fight forces that threaten the unity and integrity of the country”.

Listing out UCongress-led UPA Govt’s achievements, the chairperson of the claition said “Congress has worked to free the country from poverty. Our UPA government has worked very effectively under the leadership of Manmohan Singh”.

While defending the Centre’s economic reform measures, she added “Global recession is having an effect on India and has forced the government to take some hard decisions, which have hit the people” and told the Congress leaders, “We should explain to the people the reasons for these hard economic decisions”.

Admitting that the people have losing faith in politicians, Sonia Gandhi reminded “People are losing faith in politicians. We have to understand why this is happening”.

The Congress president also spoke about the need for electoral reforms and said that the Election Commission (EC) must introduce the necessary changes. Sonia Gandhi also asked the party members to work with unity and discipline saying that their victory was in the victory of the party.

“There are only 15 months left to the Lok Sabha elections. If we work well, there is no doubt we will be re-elected again. This is the time to work hard. As the country's main political party, the people's expectations from us is higher. We cannot let down the people who have put their faith in us” she said while concluding her address.

Rahul Gandhi: Congress not just a party but a big family with ‘Hindustani’ DNA

 Newly-appointed Vice-President of the Congress Party, Rahul Gandhi, in his first inaugural address at the Chintan Shivir  (brainstorming session) after donning the Number -2 position in the organization, urged the entire rank and file of his party to prepare for a change, to enable the country to grow from strength to strength, at all levels of governance.

“I am optimistic and we have already put the building-blocks in place. We need to transform the system of governance for a better India, where all people get empowered with their voices heard and their say being accounted for,”stated Rahul Gandhi. He said that power should not be used for the attributes of power but for empowering the people.

Dedicating his life to the Congress Party and the nation, he said that Congress is not just a political out-fit but is a big family – biggest in the globe- and its DNA is Hindustani (Indian).

In a very straight-forward deliberation, the new Vice-President of Congress Rahul Gandhi, forwarded that the party needs some set of rules of internal governance and this could be possible only by way of changing the old system.

“We need to develop leadership at all levels. We must have 40 to 50 such leaders who can be fit enough to run the country. Likewise, in every state there should be at least 10 to 20 leaders who can take the responsibility to run the concerned state,” Rahul Gandhi said. The same should be the case at district and local levels, he added. 

About ticket distribution system for contesting elections, he said that decision from top is taken but it should not be like that. Party workers should be respected and be given due space in this regard, he categorically said. About leaders, he said those who perform should be honoured  and those who don’t should be ousted, he remarked. He also warned that actions must be taken against the rebels in the party.

At the outset, he thanked all party workers of the Congress for their toil, in strengthening the organization. “It is a honour for me that I have been given a responsibility,” he very humbly forwarded. He also thanked all for the learnings he got in the past eight years that he has been in active politics.

“In 1947, India got liberated. We fought with British Empire with non-violence and we defeated them and sent them back home. Mahatma Gandhi’s successor Pt Nehru, Maluana Azad and many other visionaries gave voice to millions of Indians. During last six decades of Independence, India has seen Green Revolution, Banks’ Nationalisation, IT Revolution and all these have empowered the people of our country in many ways,” said Rahul Gandhi.

Congress-led UPA  to  have followed the great ideals of our nation-builders like Mahatma Gandhi., he said. He talked about RTI, MNREGA, Right to Education and Food Security Bill and said as how these have been aiming to empower the ‘Aam Aadmi’ of this country.