Stay united; go to the people says Rahul Gandhi to Rajasthan Congress leaders

JAIPUR: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who was on a two-day visit to Rajasthan, has said that the BJP would soon be reduced to the status of a single-state party. On the last day of his tour to Rajasthan, Rahul Gandhi said the BJP called itself a national party but the truth was it had governments only in four states: Gujarat, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

The Congress Vice President said the Congress was going to throw the BJP out of power in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in the upcoming assembly elections. "Goa has a tradition of having different parties in power every six months," Rahul Gandhi said at an extended executive meeting of the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee. "That leaves the BJP visible just in Gujarat. So much for a party that thinks it is a national party," he added. The meeting was attended by party men including chief minister Ashok Gehlot, state president Chandrabhan, Union and state ministers, and legislators.

About Rajasthan, Rahul Gandhi said “After the free generic medicines and the pension schemes, the scenario has changed and the Congress is on the plus side." Rahul Gandhi added that he had realised the mood of party workers had changed and the Congress was going to retain power after the assembly elections later this year. Rahul warned that the infighting among senior leaders posed the real hurdle for the party. The Congress leader later told the media that people with criminal antecedents would not be fielded in the elections. "I believe people with criminal records and negative approach can be clearly avoided (while deciding the party candidates)," he said.

Rahul Gandhi said party tickets would be distributed early. "We did this in the Karnataka election and succeeded," he said adding "We should succeed here also; there is no special ticket distribution formula for Rajasthan." He said the Congress ran an "aam aadmi ki sarkar" (common man's government). "At the Centre also we have two major issues directly related to the common man, but because of the opposition these are stuck. One of them is the land acquisition bill, while the other is the right to food security bill," said Rahul Gandhi.

He told Congress legislators to begin working in their constituencies. "You still have three-four months before elections," Rahul Gandhi said. "Go to the people, hear their grievances and get them relief." Rahul Gandhi was all praise for the Gehlot government's welfare schemes, especially the free medicines/tests schemes and pensions for the old, handicapped and widows. "Other states are also adopting these schemes," said the young Congress MP.