‘Make new history of victories’
CONGRESS PRESIDENT Sonia Gandhi today shifted the focus a bit from her constituency to the coming Vidhan Sabha polls and said if all partymen joined hands and worked in the same fashion as they did in Rae Bareli, the Congress would make new records of victories not only in Uttar Pradesh but in all elections that were due.
Before summing up her two-day visit, Sonia called upon the Congressmen to tighten their seatbelts to make “new history of victories” everywhere. “You are aware of the situation. UP’s affairs are well known to you. The Congress could make a record of victories not only in UP but in all coming elections if Congressmen joined hands and decided to do so,” she said.
Sonia was speaking at an “Abhar Samaroh” organised at Firoze Gandhi College here as part of her thanks-giving programme to party’s booth workers who she said were being booked in false cases.
Sonia attacked the Mulayam Singh Yadav government for what she called causing obstructions in the way of development. She also took a dig at the growing factionalism in Congress. A party was strengthened on the basis of strength of its workers and not leaders, she said.
“Rae Bareli’s record victory is the outcome of your devotion and hard work,” she said adding, “Go with the same spirit and enthusiasm as you did here to take the message of Rae Bareli to the entire Uttar Pradesh and to rest of the country where polls are due.”
{{/usCountry}}“Rae Bareli’s record victory is the outcome of your devotion and hard work,” she said adding, “Go with the same spirit and enthusiasm as you did here to take the message of Rae Bareli to the entire Uttar Pradesh and to rest of the country where polls are due.”
{{/usCountry}}Significantly, though Sonia spoke to the local audience, the coming UP polls remained on top of her day-2 tour agenda. Sonia referred to UP polls at all the five meetings of booth workers of five assembly segments of her Lok Sabha seat that she addressed today.
Besides booth workers, all the members of Rahul Gandhi’s team that led the election campaign were called for the Abhar Samaroh. Sonia said local people and partymen were responsible for her record victory.
Congressmen who spoke, however, gave credit to young MP Rahul Gandhi. “If you give responsibility of UP to Rahul we will win all the 80 Lok Sabha and 403 Vidhan Sabha seats,” said a booth worker. Rahul Gandhi said further strengthening of the organisation would remain the main challenge for the party in the days to come.
“The elections may have been over. Your job would, however, begin now,” said Rahul while asking partymen to keep in touch with people. Rahul promised that he along with Sonia would soon find a solution to the problem of power and water in the constituency.
In an obvious reference to a political lyric “Chunavi vaade bhul na jana” that a Congressman sang to praise her, Sonia said she would never forget the promises that she had made to the people of the constituency over the years. “I am aware of your problems. Besides power and water, employment is also a major problem and many of you have demanded a major factory here,” said Sonia adding she was concerned about the future of each and every individual.