In an effort to enthuse, ready its cadres and sound the bugle for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress has organised a massive rally in Nagpur on December 28 on the occasion of its foundation day.
Billed as a mega rally to be party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party President Soniaji Gandhi, party leaders President Rahul Gandhi, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi, all chief ministers of the party, the Congress expects a turn-out of 10 lakh party workers from across the state.
The rally is being seen as a move by the Congress to re-energise its cadres after it fell short of expectations in the recent State Assembly polls in five states where it managed to capture power in Telangana while it lost out in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan despite the hype of a possible victory it had built in the run-up to the polls.
Giving details of the grand rally planned on December 28, All India Congress Committee’s Organization General Secretary K C Venugopal said In Nagpur that the public support for the Congress was increasing across the country. The Congress had increased its vote shares in the states that went to the Assembly polls. “After Karnataka, we captured power in Telangana with a clear majority,” he said.
Coming down heavily on the ruling BJP at the Centre, Venugopal charged that
Narendra Modi government was ruling the country in a dictatorial manner.
Alluding to the recent security breach in Parliament, Venugopal wondered as to the country would be safe if the Parliament -- the temple of democracy – “has been attacked twice so far and both times under the BJP government”.
Venugopal said that it was sad state of affairs that 14 MPs were suspended from House when they asked questions about the security breach in Parliament. “However, no action was taken against the BJP MP who had given passes to these attackers,” he said
Maharashtra Congress Nana Patole, who addressed the news conference with Verugopal, said: “We are expecting 10 lakh people from across the state for the rally in Nagpur,” said.
He said that the congress leaders, functionaries, workers, Mahila Congress, Youth Congress, NSUI, all cells and departments of the party were working towards making this rally a success.
“We are just three to four months away for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, we expect that this will serve to create great enthusiasm and infuse new energy among the Congress workers. The Nagpur rally will be historic. We expect it to mark the beginning of a change in the country,” Patole said
Earlier, Venugopal addressed the senior state party leaders at a meeting held at a five star hotel in Nagpur, where leaders like AICC organisational general secretary Mukul Wasnik, Patole, State Legislature Congress Party Leader Balasaheb Thorat, Opposition Leader Vijay Wadettiwar, former chief ministers Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan were prominent among those present.
