With the sole aim to strengthen the Congress from the grassroots, the AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi landed here for a face-to-face interaction with the party functionaries of all ranks.

But bad weather at New Delhi delayed Gandhi’s flight almost by three hours. Hence, his two-phase programme with the party workers starting from MPs, MlAs to block presidents had to be rescheduled. In 2010, a programme of Rahul to Sambalpur had to be cancelled due to same bad weather. However, this time he reached here three hours late and joined in a rescheduled programme.

Gandhi analysed as to why Congress is so weak in Odisha. “Remaining out of power for continuous 12 years is not a good symptom for a national party like Congress. Hence, all Congress workers must work jointly to bring back the age-old party to power again,” Gandhi is learnt to have said the party workers.

The development of many States is adversely affected due to non-uniform Governments at the Centre and the State. This is happening in Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh and also in States with non-Congress Governments. Hence, to make development visible and possible, Congress must be in power in the States and the Centre, Gandhi suggested. “Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is enjoying power instead of working for the development of the State,” he alleged.

“For fast development of the States in our country, a change is necessary and you all can only make it possible,” said Gandhi to the workers.

He also sought the opinion of the party workers for debacle of the party in Odisha. And in reply, the workers said Gandhi that the seniors in the party hardly have any relation with the grassroots level workers. “

Wrong selection of candidates for the election and groupism inside the party are other main reasons for the debacle of the party both in the Assembly and Parliament elections,” the workers informed their leader.