New Delhi: Congress leaders from Delhi on Wednesday held a meeting with the party’s top leadership to review the preparedness for the Lok Sabha elections and discussed ways and means to strengthen the organisation in all seven parliamentary constituencies in the national capital.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi, who were present at the meeting, asked party leaders to remain united and connected with the people, sources said.
Delhi Congress president Anil Chaudhary and former Union minister Ajay Maken, who were also present at the meeting, pointed out to the issues relating to a possible alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the sources said.
“In view of the Lok Sabha elections, a consultation was held with the leaders of the Delhi Congress today. Revitalisation of the Delhi Congress is our priority, in which participation of all leaders and workers is necessary. We had made Delhi prosperous and happy, our struggle for the people of Delhi continues even further,” Kharge said after the meeting.
Gandhi said in a Facebook post that a meeting of Delhi Congress leaders was held under the chairmanship of Congress president Kharge. “The Congress is dedicated to strengthening the voice of the people of Delhi and ensuring the progress of Delhi,” he said.
Later, in a one-on-one meeting, Kharge and Gandhi met senior leaders of the Delhi Congress, including Maken, Chowdhary and Subhash Chopra, to discuss leadership issues in the unit. Chowdhary has completed his tenure as Delhi Congress president and a replacement is expected.
All the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi are currently held by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Delhi Congress chief Chaudhary said it was the Congress which protested against the Delhi liquor policy during ‘Pol Khol Yatra’ and it led to the arrest of top AAP leaders.
The Congress will always question Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (also the AAP’s national convener) whenever it concerns the safety and protection of the people of Delhi, he said.
AICC in-charge for Delhi affairs of the Congress Deepak Babaria said Wednesday’s meeting was held to discuss the party’s strategy for the forthcoming parliamentary elections and all senior leaders and workers were present.
Asked whether it was decided with whom will the party form its alliance in Delhi, Babaria said, “We did not discuss that issue in today’s meeting. We only discussed on how to strengthen the party in Delhi”. He said an alliance, if any in Delhi, will be finalised by the party high command.
“We all decided to oppose the double-engine of both AAP government in Delhi and the BJP government at the Centre,” Babaria said. “Whatever promises he (Arvind Kejriwal) has made to people of Delhi, he has not fulfilled, be it on any issues,” he alleged.
PTI

Press Trust of India