AICC General secretary Rahul Gandhi has begun his public campaigning (Discover India) program from Orissa.
Rahul Gandhi, 37 year old MP from Amethi is the new vibrant avatar of Congress family. Congressmen expect wonders from this high-tech politician to boost the party. Rahul started his people contact program from the tribal district of Noapara.
The state assembly elections will be conducted within a year in this northern state with a wide variety of tribal folk. Mr. Gandhi was inducted as AICC general secretary in the party last September. The youngest of Nehru dynasty, Rahul is the son of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and murdered former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Party spoke-persons say Rahul will meet party workers, tribals, and farmers during his all India campaign.
General elections are not far away and the Congress party must have an energizing program, according to political analyzers. The rise of Rahul, the party hope will attract many supporters including a majority youth. Rahul Gandhi has suggested that Congress organizational setup should change according to the new scenario. High command controlling system is not enough to vitalize the organization in grass root level. Rahul has called upon party leaders to go to the basic level and enrich the organization by attracting more people.
His style of functioning among people is widely acclaimed. He goes to the mob freely and asks their problems alike his father. Women and tribal people hear him with adoration and they open up about their issues with freedom. The young leader looks out positively and makes solutions for many issues affecting the tribal people. Rahul Gandhi had campaigned in elections in Uttar Pradesh, last year. Even though he could not make a significant progress, Congress leaders and workers still projects him as the savior of the declining party.
In North and South, party workers and common men are waiting for his great presence. He speaks for poor and down trodden people, he speaks for tribal welfare. He speaks for farmers’ development schemes in Lok Sabha. He emphasizes the need of women and children prosperity. He has become a popular mass leader in a short span of time just like his father Rajeev Gandhi.
“Go to the people and speak to them, listen to them and try to solve their problems.” This is his mantra to congress workers to strengthen the organization. This is the main challenge congress workers and leaders face at this time. He warns the party leaders who flatter him around. His political vision was inherited from Nehru family. The crowd puller, young leader is marching to find out the heart and vein of true India. A long march to find a place in Indian democracy is a journey with full of hardships. To rebuild the Congress party at grass-root level is the greatest challenge of Rahul Gandhi.
The organizational setup of Congress party is weak in many states. Even in Kerala, once said to be a strong base of grass-root level, Congress functionality is becoming weak, according to political think-tanks. Leaders can’t win the hearts of common men. A long divide between party workers and people has been deteriorating the image of the organization. In this context Rahul’s call for “reaching the people” is most important, say observers.
Can he discover India? Can he revitalize the party to achieve a great victory in the coming general elections? That’s the question most relevant.
