AHMEDABAD: Rahul Gandhi addressed Congress booth workers at Modasa's Swaminarayan Mandir during his Gujarat tour, unveiling strategies to bolster the party’s national presence.
Engaging directly with the workers, he tackled their pressing questions, offering insights into upcoming plans and reforms.
Here's a breakdown of the key exchanges between Congress workers and Rahul Gandhi.
Congress worker: It is unclear where the workers go after the elections. It is also unclear how candidates are selected. What about booth-level management?
Rahul Gandhi: Our focus is on strengthening district leadership. We will appoint district presidents based on their ability to develop the Congress in their region. From now on, we will work at the booth level, evaluating the performance of those who win elections.
For example, if we win in Gujarat, we will assess how many seats a leader has secured in their district. If a leader wins their seat but only one seat is won in their area, no matter their stature, they will not be considered for a ministerial post.
We will also ask senior leaders about the booth and the vote count. We will empower those who contribute to party development. District presidents will be monitored regularly. Those who fail to attend district meetings will not be allowed to contest assembly or Lok Sabha elections.
Congress worker: Why aren’t there more women in the party? Women are not getting enough respect in the party…
Rahul Gandhi: You will soon see a change. I recently met district presidents, and there were no women at all. But it will change. We want more women to join the party.
Congress worker: Funds from the Congress party aren’t reaching the lower units. I’ve been working since 2002 -- how long will the workers spend their own money?
Rahul Gandhi: In the past, candidates had received funds three to four months before elections. From now on, funds will be given to district presidents in monthly instalments, not in bulk. This money will be used for party operations. We want district presidents to be responsible for collecting funds.