'Hard work, not sycophancy, will help Congress reconnect with people at grassroots level': Rahul Gandhi tells party leaders

NEW DELHI: In a bid to revive Congress organisational strength, party leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday told district presidents that hard work and direct public engagement, rather than sycophancy, will help the party grow, as he urged party leaders to reconnect with people at the grassroots level, party sources said.While addressing the concluding session of a 10-day training camp for Congress district presidents from Rajasthan and Delhi in Pushkar, Gandhi praised coordination among Rajasthan Congress leaders and described the working relationship between the Pradesh Congress Committee leadership and the Leader of Opposition as a positive example for the party, according to Congress leaders, PTI reported.He described Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Dotasra and Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Tikaram Jully as a “Jai-Veeru ki jodi”.The Congress had witnessed internal infighting in Rajasthan involving the camps of Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot before its defeat in the 2023 Assembly elections.The leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha said party workers must remain connected to public issues and stand with the poor and marginalised in cases of injustice.He spent more than five hours at the camp and held interactive sessions on organisational strengthening, teamwork, ideology and public outreach, the sources said.Gandhi urged district presidents not to limit themselves to organisational roles but to build direct contact with citizens. He said rebuilding public trust was essential for strengthening the Congress and expanding its support base.He added that growth within the party should be based on commitment and service rather than personal loyalty to senior leaders. Gandhi also called for focus on issue-based politics and stronger engagement with people to counter what he described as the BJP’s narrative.Rajasthan Congress president Govind Dotasra gave a presentation on organisational work and efforts to strengthen the party at the grassroots level.Leader of opposition Tikaram Jully said the 10-day camp under the “Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan” would infuse new energy into the organisation in Rajasthan.The training camp was attended by district presidents and senior Congress leaders from Rajasthan and Delhi.