E-Paper
INDIA undecided, Rai pitches for Rahul as PM
Rai, who was accorded a warm welcome at the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters here as he reached the state capital from Varanasi, said the main responsibility to make Rahul Gandhi PM must be shouldered by Uttar Pradesh.
Even as the Opposition INDIA alliance is yet to decide on its prime ministerial face, newly appointed Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai on Thursday pitched for senior party leader Rahul Gandhi as PM in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Rai, who was accorded a warm welcome at the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters here as he reached the state capital from Varanasi, said the main responsibility to make Rahul Gandhi PM must be shouldered by Uttar Pradesh.
Shouts of ‘Har Har Mahadev’, recitation of Vedic hymns and blowing of conch shells on the dais greeted Rai who said, “We all have made up our mind. We want to see Rahul Gandhi as India’s Prime Minister in 2024 Lok Sabha elections.”
“I want to ask you whose responsibility is it to make Rahul Gandhi the Prime Minister. This is the main responsibility of Uttar Pradesh,” Rai said while addressing the party workers at UPCC headquarters here.
Rai further said, “If we miss this opportunity, if we become weak, we will not be able to make Rahul Gandhi Prime Minister of the country in 2024. We must work responsibly day and night. We must work every movement for Rahul Gandhi. Let us work for the Congress and Mallikarjun Kharge. Let us work for Priyanka Gandhi. With this, we will be able to show our strength in 2024... If we show our strength in 2024, I can easily say 2027 too will be ours.”
“We all give a message of bringing about a change in 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Today is the 24th (August). We are beginning preparations for 2024 Lok Sabha elections on 24th (of this month). You all give me strength. I can assure you and the central leadership, I will be ready to sacrifice my life for you. I draw my strength from you,” he added.
He referred to the traditions of Kashi and how the city treated the people of all religions alike and said, “We will fight and win too.”
“Even if send they us to jail, we will sleep on the floor in jail and remove you (BJP) from the Centre and in the state,” Rai asserted.
He referred to the support that then UPCC president Nirmal Khatri gave him during his nearly seven-month stay in jail in 2015.
“Let them charge lathis, let them open fire… These governments use ED (Enforcement Directorate), CBI and bulldozers. We will turn the bulldozers away from us. Our leaders are not afraid of (these agencies),” he said.
Referring to Congress deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Pramod Tiwari’s observations that there was a need to bridge the gap between the party’s leaders and the workers, Rai said when the police stopped vehicle of a party’s district president near Barabanki on Thursday, he asked party leader Tanuj Punia to go to the spot himself and get the issue resolved.
Other senior Congress leaders who spoke on the occasion included outgoing UPCC president Brijlal Khabri, former UPCC president and CWC member Salman Khursheed. Congress Working Committee member Supriya Shrinate, former UPCC presidents Nirmal Khatri and Ajay Kumar Lallu, former MP PL Punia and Congress Legislature Party leader Aradhana Mishra ‘Mona’ were among those present on the dais.
Khabri said he did his best to take all the partymen along even as he continued to hear reports about his likely removal.
Most leaders referred to Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra to make their point about Wayanad MP’s fighting spirit and how the opposition INDIA alliance posed a threat to the NDA in 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
