Rahul exhorts youngsters to join Youth Congress

Santiniketan (West Bengal) (IANS) - Exhorting young people to join the Indian Youth Congress, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Tuesday said strengthening the Congress would help them serve the nation better.

The young leader attended two party programmes at Bolpur town, where he interacted with the Youth Congress members and elected Congress members from seven West Bengal Lok Sabha constituencies.

During the potential youth congress leaders' meet, Gandhi shared his viewS with around 11,000 members from seven Lok Sabha contituencies who have taken membership recently and are likely to be in fray for the elections to various Youth Congress office-bearers' posts to be held shortly.

An insider said that when a 22-year-old youth from Burdwan asked  how could he be associated with politics, Gandhi replied: "Come and join Youth Congress".

"He also urged young people to join the Youth Congress as strengthening of the Congress would help one serve the nation better," said the insider.

Kulwant Rai Sinhgla of the Youth Congress, who was in-charge of the potential leadership meet, said: "In reply to queries of some 20 odd young people, Rahul Gandhi told them that the Youth Congress is the only party where the leaders having potential would be elected democratically."

In another programme, he meet elected Congress members -- from rural bodies upwards to the Legislative Assembly -- of seven constituencies and asked about their problems and also sought suggestions to strengthen the Congress
in West Bengal.

The seven constituencies are Bolpur, Birbhum, Burdwan, Burdwan East, Durgapur, Murshidabad and Jangipur.

Said Asit Mal, Birbhum district Congress president: "We have discussed several issues, including alliance with the Trinamool Congress and political violence in the state".

"We have urged him to ensure that the Congress got a respectful position in the grand alliance with the Trinamool Congress in the coming elections."

"He patiently listened to our views and also assured us that he will look into the matter," said the lone Congress legislator of Birbhum district.

This was Rahul Gandhi's maiden visit to Bolpur, known to be a stronghold of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) for decades.