Rahul Gandhi holds meetings with Haryana Congress leaders to rejuvenate party

Chandigarh: 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.

The Congress, which has been out of power in Haryana for over a decade, has not had a district-level organisation in the state for the past 11 years and Gandhi's visit is to set the process in motion.

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.

During his two-and-a-half-hour stay, Gandhi held a meeting with the party's senior leaders. It was followed by another meeting with AICC and PCC observers.

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, and 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.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, senior leader and former Union minister Birender Singh said the Congress lacked an organisational structure in Haryana for the past 11 years.

Birender Singh 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.

The party has appointed observers to appoint the District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents in Haryana.

Earlier, Gandhi was given a warm welcome by party leaders upon his arrival at the airport.

Gandhi had on Tuesday visited Bhopal as part of the 'Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan' (organisation rejuvenation campaign).

On Monday, the Congress leader in-charge of party's Haryana affairs, B K Hariprasad, told reporters here that the process to appoint the district presidents will be completed in one month.

Bhan 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.

Hariprasad had on Monday explained the appointment process of the district presidents.

After the district chiefs' appointment, this will be followed up with the selection of a state unit chief and other appointments in the state unit, he had said.