By IANS,
Mumbai : Congress Vice-President Rahul Friday said his party was like the nation’s DNA and urged all party workers to strengthen it.
His comment came during a series of closed-door meetings with party leaders and activists from Mumbai in his first trip to Maharashtra after taking over as the ruling party’s second-in-command Jan 19.
“The Congress is like the nation’s DNA. I appeal to all partymen to make efforts and strengthen the party,” Gandhi urged, addressing workers at Tilak Bhavan in Dadar.
“I came here to talk to our party (men). It was a good discussion,” he told reporters in a fleeting interaction.
To a question on the pending appointment of the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee president, he said: “We will resolve the issue soon.”
During his meetings with party workers, many clamoured for filling up the vacant post, especially since the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra assembly elections are due next year.
The post has been lying vacant after the resignation of former city party chief Kripashankar Singh who has been embroiled in alleged corruption scandals.
On the issue of drought affecting various parts of the state, Gandhi said he discussed the issue with Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.
“It’s a difficult situation and the CM is doing his best in the matter. I want to see the drought areas myself,” he said, assuring that the government would do everything possible to combat the situation.
During his meeting with party workers, leaders and municipal corporators, Gandhi was attentive and keen to know views of the grassroots activists, sources who attended the meeting said.
“He listened very carefully to all who spoke and at times also asked short, pointed questions on certain issues. There was no stage, but different groups were seated on chairs and Gandhi came and sat opposite them on a chair while they spoke,” a senior official who attended the meeting told IANS, requesting anonymity.
He said that at the end of the day’s deliberations, Gandhi left a lasting impression on the workers who found him sincere about his passion to strengthen the party.
Besides Chavan, Gandhi was flanked by state Congress chief Manikrao Thakre, Mumbai Congress MPs Sanjay Nirupam and Eknath Gaikwad, party’s state in-charge Mohan Prakash, senior ministers and office-bearers during his day-long trip.