The Hindu : Front Page : Be wary of the enemy within: Rahul

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Tuesday, Nov 13, 2007
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Be wary of the enemy within: Rahul

Special Correspondent

— Photo: Subir Roy

New initiative: Rahul Gandhi salutes the party flag at the Congress headquarters in Lucknow on Monday.

LUCKNOW: All-India Congress Committee general secretary Rahul Gandhi said here on Monday that the biggest threat to the party was from the “enemy within.” He emphasised that the only opposition to the Congress was its incapability to represent people, and biggest drawback — failure to connect with people.

The Amethi Member of Parliament, who attended the first meeting of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Coordination Committee, stressed on connectivity with people and accountability to bring the Congress back on the rails.

Talking to mediapersons after the meeting, he pointed out that organisational weaknesses were the bane of the party which had kept it out of power in the State for 18 years.

Mr. Gandhi said that all these years the party was unable to attract youth. He would endeavour to make youth the vehicle of accountability. He wanted more youth inducted into the party.

While asserting that he did not believe in vote banks and cared little what the Bahujan Samaj Party and other parties were doing in the State, he said every talented youth should have the ability to enter politics. Besides, the party should be able to take up people’s issues.

On the perennial problem of factionalism and groupism plaguing the party in the State, Mr. Gandhi felt that this could be overcome by fixing accountability and displaying the propensity to identify with people.

The coordination committee, attended by 31 members, including Mr. Gandhi, lasted for four hours. Mr. Gandhi gave a patient hearing to the views and suggestions of the committee members.

In fact, at his behest the meeting agreed to organise the general body meeting of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee in Kanpur by December-end or January next.

Mr. Gandhi would be present at the two-day meeting. Its concluding session will be addressed by party president and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Thereafter, a public meeting will be held in the industrial metropolis.

Mr. Gandhi met the members of 16 delegations drawn from former MPs. MLAs, frontal units and party cells.

This was Mr. Gandhi’s first visit to the Nehru Bhawan, headquarters of the Pradesh Congress Committee, where the day’s programme was held. Mr. Gandhi spent the entire day at the office.

Signalling its intent to take on the Bahujan Samaj Party government, the Congress has decided to convert an issue related to alleged insult of Mahatma Gandhi by a ruling party functionary into a State-wide agitation.

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