The Hindu : New Delhi News : Huge welcome for Pachouri in Bhopal

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Huge welcome for Pachouri in Bhopal

Staff Correspondent

First visit to State capital after appointment as MPCC chief

Photo: A.M. Faruqui

Grand welcome: New Madhya Pradesh Congress president Suresh Pachouri being welcomed by party workers in Bhopal on Saturday.

BHOPAL: The newly appointed Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee president Suresh Pachouri was accorded an unprecedented welcome on his arrival here on Saturday afternoon.

In his first meeting with media persons on arrival at the Congress headquarters, Mr. Pachouri expressed gratitude to party president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Rahul Gandhi for reposing faith in him and giving him the new responsibility. He said he has the support of senior State Congress leaders and went on to emphasise that all Congress members would remain united and win the coming elections in the State.

“The task is to build the support base,” he said, adding that their goal is victory and it would be achieved with a solid support base.

Mr. Pachouri had a special word of gratitude for “the blessings” he had continued to receive from the “Gandhi-Nehru family” ever since he entered politics.

The road from Raja Bhoj airport, where he landed by a special aircraft at about 1 p.m., was packed with supporters. The motorcade moved at a slow pace as people kept jostling with each other to close in. The entire route was decorated with hoardings and welcome arches and special shamianas were erected where Congress workers were present in large numbers to welcome the new leader.

Mr. Pachouri reached the PCC Office by about 6 p.m. and addressed a huge Congress workers’ rally. He was welcomed at the Congress headquarters amid drumbeats and bursting of crackers. Party secretaries Jitin Prasad, Meenakshi Natrajan, leader of Opposition in the State Assembly, Jamuna Devi, former PCC president Radhakishan Malviya, Bhopal Mayor Sunil Sood, Congress MLAs, former Ministers and party office-bearers were present.

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