Making a strong plea to partymen to remain united, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said during the last five to six years the party had faced defeat wherever there was disunity.
“Whenever the party is defeated, it is because Congressmen are not united and there is a need to change this attitude,” Mr. Gandhi said while addressing a joint meeting of office-bearers of the Madhya Pradesh Congress and district presidents of the party.
Mr. Gandhi, who is on a two-day trip to Gwalior and Bhopal to spread base of Youth Congress and the student’s wing NSUI, said he has been active in politics for the last five to six years and during this period he saw that wherever the party fared poorly, it was because of its own people.
“If we become united, success is ensured as had happened during the last Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh,” Mr. Gandhi was quoted as saying by the State’s party unit.
He said the Congress did well in the parliamentary elections in UP. “I will not like to take the entire credit for that,” he said while noting that he had worked extensively with a number of leaders and party workers there.
It was a matter of happiness that the number of Lok Sabha seats from Madhya Pradesh held by the party has gone up from four to 12, he said.
On the perception that Congress was weak in Madhya Pradesh, Mr. Gandhi said the problems could be sorted out.
Addressing a press conference, Mr. Gandhi blamed the media for highlighting only his visits to Dalit houses across the country though he toured places inhabited by people of all classes.
The 39-year-old leader said nothing should be read into his visits to houses of poor.
“I had yesterday gone to four colleges and a tribal hostel but the media highlighted only my visit to the hostel,” he said.
Mr. Gandhi was impressed by the enthusiasm shown by students living in a tribal hostel here when he made an unannounced and unscheduled visit to the place.
“I thought that if such poor students can be full of optimism then there is no doubt that the future of India will be bright,” Mr. Gandhi said.
Mr. Gandhi accused the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh for failing to spend the money given to it by the Centre for developmental work and needlessly complaining of discrimination.
“The NDA government had given Rs 1,000 crore to Madhya Pradesh, while the UPA government has given Rs 6,000 crore to the State,” he said.
