Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Friday urged Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, State party president Yashpal Arya and others to strengthen the party at the grassroots.
Winding up the daylong marathon interactions with district, block and panchayat level functionaries, Mr. Gandhi urged party workers to forget petty differences and rededicate themselves to the task of winning the coming local bodies’ elections and the 2014 general polls.
Mr. Gandhi wanted every active member to highlight the achievements of the UPA government.
“You can create an atmosphere in favour of the Congress by telling people of the development schemes and pro-poor strategies of the party,” Mr. Gandhi said. He also wanted the workers to identify problem areas and the needs of the people and try to get them sorted out.
Addressing activists of the NSUI, Mr. Gandhi said the nation had high expectations from the youth and they should work hard to achieve their goals.
He later advised the senior party leaders to ensure that the demands raised by the workers were given priority and resolved at the earliest.
Earlier, Mr. Gandhi was accorded a warm welcome by party workers all along the route from the Jolly Grant Airport to the city.
Meanwhile, hectic lobbying began for the state party president’s post, after Mr. Gandhi’s departure to New Delhi. This, highly placed party sources said, had been sparked off by perceptions that Mr. Gandhi was interested in getting a new face to head the party.
