Thiruvananthapuram: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi urged his party leaders in Kerala to put off their fights till after the elections are over because only “Congress can defeat Congress”, not the CPM.
At the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee executive here on Wednesday, Mr Rahul Gandhi said there was only thing the party needed to do: “The CPM cannot defeat the Congress party in Kerala. But the Congress party can defeat the Congress party in Kerala”.
Evoking all-round laughter and amid claps, Mr Gandhi said: “This is the time for you to join hands, at least for two months with an aim to win the elections. Once the elections are over, you are more than welcome to fight with each other. I am then ready to come here to listen to your woes”, said Mr. Gandhi.
Mr Gandhi also took on the Modi dispensation, alleging that the development agenda was merely superficial as it left out the poor, farmers and workers. There was a lethal campaign aimed at dividing the people into Hindus, Muslims and Christians. The Congress was the only force capable of tackling this divisive agenda.
While interacting with Mr. Gandhi late on Tuesday, the majority of senior Congress leaders apprised him of the internal strife in the party. Mr. Gandhi’s warning had come in the context of the not-so-secret moves by the “I” group for a leadership change in Government.
At the KPCC meeting, Mr Gandhi praised senior Congress leader A. K. Antony, saying “he is the wise leader in Congress, not only in Kerala, but in the whole country”. Later, Mr. Antony said gone were the days when people voted for symbols of the party.
“Only winnable candidates should be fielded in Assembly elections. The question of losing elections does not rise. We should fight unitedly against the BJP’s anti-secular move”, said Mr Antony.
‘Start-Up is about free thinking’
The atmosphere of free thinking and tolerance are essential ingredients of the development dreams and economic growth of the country, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday. “Talks about startup and digital India on the one side and intolerance towards diversity of opinion will not go together”, Mr. Gandhi said during an interaction with members in the startup village in Kochi, according to a release issued by the startup village.
“Students and youth should have the freedom to express fresh and innovative ideas and such expressions act as triggers for innovation, he said. “The denial of freedom for expressing new ideas leads to incidents such as the suicide of Rohith Venmula in the University of Hyderabad”, he said.
