Rahul holds meetings with Haryana Cong leaders as party sets to revamp state unit

Chandigarh, Jun 4 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday held a meeting with senior party leaders from Haryana, and the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) observers here as part of an organisation rejuvenation campaign.

With the party's Haryana unit plagued by factionalism in the past, Gandhi's clear message was that when it comes to any work for the party, no "gutbazi" (factionalism) should come in the way and if any complaint comes, action will be taken. While addressing a meeting of the appointed observers, Gandhi stressed the need to nurture promising, ideologically committed leadership across all districts of the state.

The Congress, which has been out of power in Haryana for over a decade, has not had a formal organisational structure in the state for the past 11 years and Gandhi's visit was to set the process in motion as the party begins revamping the state unit.

Gandhi, leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, reached the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) headquarters here at noon, half an hour after he reached the airport, as part of the party's 'Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan'.

During his two-and-a-half-hour stay, Gandhi held a meeting with the party's senior leaders, with over 20 of them taking part. It was followed by another meeting with AICC and PCC observers. After this, he also held one more meeting with AICC observers separately.

Briefing reporters in the evening, Congress leader in-charge of party's Haryana affairs, B K Hariprasad, said Gandhi gave a clear message which is to strengthen the Congress.

It was also felt that factionalism in the state unit had delayed the appointment process of District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents, Hariprasad said.

There is no objection to who is part of which group but no "gutbaazi" (factionalism) should come in the way when it comes to any work for the party and action will be taken if any complaint comes, Gandhi said during his meetings, Hariprasad told reporters.

Former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, party's state unit chief Udai Bhan, some former HPCC chiefs including Birender Singh, general secretary Kumari Selja and senior leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala, Ajay Singh Yadav, MP Deepender Singh Hooda and Ashok Tanwar were among those present at the meeting with senior leaders.

These senior Congress leaders gave suggestions pertaining to the reorganisation of the party unit and how DCC and the Congress in Haryana can be strengthened, party leaders said.

Gandhi later met with the AICC and PCC observers as the party's Haryana unit is set to start the process of putting the organisational cadre in place.

Later, the Congress leader also separately met the AICC observers, one each of those appointed for the 22 districts in the state along with the 69 PCC observers.

The party has appointed observers for the process of appointing the DCC presidents in Haryana.

In a post on X, party general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said, "As part of the Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan in Haryana, LOP Sh.@RahulGandhi ji addressed a meeting of the appointed Observers, stressing on the need to nurture promising, ideologically committed leadership across all districts of the state." Hariprasad said after June 10, the AICC and PCC observers will visit the respective districts as part of the process to appoint DCC chiefs and recommend a panel of six names from each district.

"We have released a format for the applications which we have sought for DCC presidents... He or she should be an active member of the party for a minimum of five years and should be committed to Congress ideology...," he said.

He said adequate representation will be given to people from SC/ST, OBC categories and women in the appointments of DCC chiefs.

Once the DCC chiefs are appointed, other appointments in the party state unit will follow, he said.

Asked if the October 2024 assembly poll results in which the Congress failed to wrest power from the BJP for the third time in a row, Hariprasad said Gandhi's visit was to set in motion organisational structure-related process. However, one thing which came up was that the party's narrow loss in the assembly polls was also due to the lack of organisational structure, he said.

Speaking to reporters after Wednesday's meeting, senior leader and former Union minister Birender Singh said the Congress lacked an organisational structure in Haryana for the past 11 years. He said the party will get further strengthened when its full organisational structure is ready in Haryana.

Replying to a question that the Congress in Haryana has in the past witnessed infighting, Singh said, "Everyone is united." Amit Sihag, who took part in the meeting of the observers, told reporters later that the Congress leadership is trying to build an energetic organisation and added that the party's senior leaders will play a role in this.

"Soon, you will see a strong organisation of our party in Haryana," Sihag said, adding this process will be completed in a time-bound manner.

"Rahul ji came to meet everyone to express his views on this and meet everyone," he added.

Earlier, Gandhi was given a warm welcome by the party leaders upon his arrival at the airport. Gandhi had on Tuesday visited Bhopal as part of the 'Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan' (organisation rejuvenation campaign).

State Congress chief Udai Bhan had earlier said the Congress in the meeting held at Belagavi in Karnataka in December last year had decided that 2025 would be a year for strengthening the organisation. PTI SUN VSD KSS KSS