Rahul's tutorial for the Rajasthan Congress

The Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi wants state leaders to pull up their socks and deliver results within three months or face consequences, reports Renu Mittal   

All India Congress Committee Vice President Rahul Gandhi asked Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and state PCC President Chander Bhan to deliver results in three months or else face the consequences.

In a meeting with Chief Minister Gehlot, PCC President Chander Bhan, AICC General Secretary Mukul Wasnik, Political secretary Ahmed Patel, General secretary in charge of organisation Janardan Dwivedi, Rahul Gandhi has given both the state government and the state organisation a deadline of three months in which to strengthen the organisation and deliver time bound action plan as well as various programmes and initiatives of the state government.

In a meeting of over one-and-half hours held at the AICC headquarters, Rahul Gandhi asked Chander Bhan to give him an action plan for the next three months on how the organisation can be strengthened. He would sit with Gehlot and Wasnik and formulate this plan and report back to Rahul Gandhi. Another meeting to review this would be held after the three-month time line is over.

While Chanderbhan gave Rahul Gandhi a status report on the activities of the PCC so far, the emphasis by Rahul has been on hold meetings of the PCC, the District and bloc committees and continued interaction of these bodies with the people.

Rahul wants targets fixed both in the organisation and the government. He said that after the targets are fixed they should be implemented and the targets achieved. In other words the aim is to have realistic targets which can be achieved rather than selling a utopian dream that can not materialise. He insisted that there should be regular meetings of the organisation. 

Rahul also said at the meeting that those who are working and performing should be rewarded while they should keep an eye on those who do not work and deliver. He said, “unka dhyan rakho”.

For the government, he said it should focus on the flag ship progarmmes, the central schemes which can help the state government and the people, the budget etc. Gehlot is learnt to have told Rahul that budget was very good and it now needs to be implemented.

There was no discussion on the approaching assembly elections at the end of the year in Rajasthan followed by the Lok Sabha elections next year. Party leaders were jittery that if they lose the assembly elections, it would mean a poor showing in the Lok Sabha with the majority of the 21 MPs losing in the Lok Sabha polls.

A senior leader said that winning or losing a state assembly was a sure indicator of how the party would perform in the coming polls as the link was sharp and clear. With reports coming in of a disastrous showing by the Rajasthan government in November, most of the Congress MPs are mentally preparing themselves for defeat in the polls.

In the meeting with Rajasthan Congress MPs held last week, a senior leader told Rahul Gandhi that the situation in Rajasthan looked rather bleak and not comfortable for the party. This feeling is growing with sources saying that Rahul Gandhi is likely to make a visit to Rajasthan to gauge the situation for himself.

When the CM and MPCC President invited him to visit Rajasthan at Monday’s meeting he asked them to make a programme on his visit after which he would come to the state. After becoming the vice president and taking charge of the organisation, Rahul Gandhi has been visiting various states and a visit to Rajasthan may follow soon.

The Rahul tutorial is being held state wise to warn the state leaders to shape up in the next three months or else they would be shipped out.