Cleansing process is on in the party, he says

The Congress is breaking away from dynastic politics and only a person with merit will be brought to power, general secretary Rahul Gandhi told the office-bearers of the Youth Congress at a closed-door meeting in the Bhaidas auditorium here on Friday.

“He asked the 1,000-odd crowd, how many of us had a political background. When only 10-15 persons raised their hands, he was pleased and said it signifies that the Congress is breaking away from dynastic politics. He said all the delegates are here because of their achievements,” Utkarsha Rupawate, vice-president of the Shirdi Lok Sabha Youth Congress Committee, told The Hindu after the meeting.

Mr. Gandhi also met members of the college units and the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) from across the State. Both meetings together lasted more than three hours.

“Some delegates asked him why he toured only Uttar Pradesh. He said this was his first political tour in Maharashtra and he would now keep visiting the districts here to review grass-roots work. He will review constituency-wise work,” said Tushar Pote, second year BBA student of SSGM College from Kopargaon.

Mr. Gandhi said that he, along with his sister Priyanka Vadra, would tour Maharashtra extensively for the 2014 Assembly elections.

The delegates are learnt to have brought up the issues of corruption, nepotism, public image and dynastic politics within the party.

Meanwhile, many delegates were seen fuming outside the venue as they were denied entry for various reasons. Some accused the party of perpetuating dynastic politics, while others criticised the organisers for keeping out the delegates who had come from far-flung areas.

Those who attended the meetings said Mr. Gandhi gave them directions to strengthen the party at the grass-roots level. “He told us, we can speak against our own government if it is going wrong. He told us that we have to fight for people's problems,” Ms. Rupawate said.

Cleansing process on

NSUI delegates said Mr. Gandhi spoke about strengthening the party. “We raised concern about public perception of the Congress as a party of frauds. He said the party leadership has already started the cleansing process. ‘If you take a bucket of filthy water and keep adding clean water to it, the water is slowly cleaned up. We have started the process for the past two-three years. If you see, all the scams that everyone is talking about, including Adarsh, are old,' he told us,” said Mr. Pote.

During the meeting with NSUI delegates, the issue of the party's performance in the recent civic elections was raised.

“Rahul Gandhiji said the Congress is number two in the local bodies' election and when he sought information on the same, he came to know of various things. He told us that like the NCP, which concentrates on the State, even the Congress will concentrate here,” 22-year old Tushar said.

Mr. Gandhi felicitated Youth Congress members who were elected office-bearers of the local bodies, and NSUI college units which gave presentations about their work.

“The prime agenda [of the meeting with Youth Congress office-bearers] was unit management review. Rahul Gandhiji also told us to improve rapport with the parent Congress party,” a party member told The Hindu.

Some NSUI members alleged that they were not let in though they had come on time. “We have come from Madh in Solapur. We were not let in. Here we are, bearing the sun and standing outside the venue without a drop of water, and all that the Congress is concerned about are the sons and relatives of the senior Congress leaders. We are the ones who work at the grass-roots level and bring more members in the party. But look at those who are made leaders of the NSUI. They are all old people. Why aren't the youth given leadership,” asked Reshma Ajit, an NSUI member from Madh.