Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, whose sabbatical following the party’s wipeout in Delhi polls has evoked sharp criticism, is set to return with a Big Bang, addressing a farmers’ rally at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on March 16 and leading a Parliament gherao agitation on the land acquisition legislation after that.
The March 16 show of strength, being organised by Congress’ youth wing, will be preceded by a three-day padyatra by Indian Youth Congress workers and farmers from Bhatta and Parsaul villages in Greater Noida to Delhi. The padyatra will begin on March 13 and end in Delhi.
The next morning, party workers and Indian Youth Congress leaders will assemble at Rajghat, where some senior Congress leaders are also likely to join them, according to party workers familiar with the plan.
Though Rahul Gandhi will make his first big public appearance at the Youth Congress show on March 16, he is likely to end his sabbatical a few days before that, these officials confirmed.
Kamal Nath's statement
On Wednesday, party leader Kamal Nath said that the Congress vice president would be back in action early next week. “Rahul Gandhi will be back to business in next about five days,” he told journalists on the sidelines of the annual convocation of Institute of Management Technology at Kalmeshwar near Nagpur.
Rahul Gandhi went on a sudden leave just before the Budget session. Though the party said he had taken a break, it became obvious that he was disappointed at not being given a free hand in managing the party’s affairs.
Congress insiders said Rahul Gandhi may finally be made party president at the All India Congress Committee likely to begin on April 10. He is also likely to be given permission to recast the Congress Working Committee.
In fact, the Congress vice president is already making important decisions. For instance, all the five new chiefs of the Pradesh Congress Committees appointed during the period he has been on leave are people considered close to him. These include Ashok Chavan (who has been made Maharashtra PCC president), Ghulam Ahmed Mir (Jammu and Kashmir), Ajay Makan (Delhi), Bharatsinh Solanki (Gujarat) and Uttam Kumar Reddy (Telangana). Another Rahul loyalist, Sanjay Nirupam, was made president of Mumbai Congress Regional Committee during the same period.
Party officials see Rahul Gandhi’s imprint even on party president Sonia Gandhi’s decision to appoint Randeep Surjewala as head of the Congress’ media department on Thursday. The appointment surprised many as several party veterans like Jairam Ramesh, Renuka Choudhary, Janardan Dwivedi, Salman Khursheed and Anand Sharma are said to have been in the race.
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The March 16 show of strength, being organised by Congress’ youth wing, will be preceded by a three-day padyatra by Indian Youth Congress workers and farmers from Bhatta and Parsaul villages in Greater Noida to Delhi. The padyatra will begin on March 13 and end in Delhi.
The next morning, party workers and Indian Youth Congress leaders will assemble at Rajghat, where some senior Congress leaders are also likely to join them, according to party workers familiar with the plan.
Though Rahul Gandhi will make his first big public appearance at the Youth Congress show on March 16, he is likely to end his sabbatical a few days before that, these officials confirmed.
Kamal Nath's statement
On Wednesday, party leader Kamal Nath said that the Congress vice president would be back in action early next week. “Rahul Gandhi will be back to business in next about five days,” he told journalists on the sidelines of the annual convocation of Institute of Management Technology at Kalmeshwar near Nagpur.
Rahul Gandhi went on a sudden leave just before the Budget session. Though the party said he had taken a break, it became obvious that he was disappointed at not being given a free hand in managing the party’s affairs.
Congress insiders said Rahul Gandhi may finally be made party president at the All India Congress Committee likely to begin on April 10. He is also likely to be given permission to recast the Congress Working Committee.
In fact, the Congress vice president is already making important decisions. For instance, all the five new chiefs of the Pradesh Congress Committees appointed during the period he has been on leave are people considered close to him. These include Ashok Chavan (who has been made Maharashtra PCC president), Ghulam Ahmed Mir (Jammu and Kashmir), Ajay Makan (Delhi), Bharatsinh Solanki (Gujarat) and Uttam Kumar Reddy (Telangana). Another Rahul loyalist, Sanjay Nirupam, was made president of Mumbai Congress Regional Committee during the same period.
Party officials see Rahul Gandhi’s imprint even on party president Sonia Gandhi’s decision to appoint Randeep Surjewala as head of the Congress’ media department on Thursday. The appointment surprised many as several party veterans like Jairam Ramesh, Renuka Choudhary, Janardan Dwivedi, Salman Khursheed and Anand Sharma are said to have been in the race.