Cong will win 2018 polls with a huge mandate, says Pande
Putting an end to speculations on organisational changes in Rajasthan, newly appointed Congress state in-charge Avinash Pande on Sunday expressed confidence that his party will form the next government in the state.
All set with a roadmap to counter the BJP in 2018, Pande said the party will focus on strengthening membership campaign till booth level, effective coordination between the party’s frontal wings and training programmes for cadres.
Pande was addressing newspersons after attending his first state executive meet along with four newly appointed co-incharges Vivek Bansal, Kazi Mohammad Nizamuddin, Devendra Yadav and Tarun Kumar.
“The biggest challenge in front of the BJP is Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi. That is why they go about maligning his image and spreading rumours. They have failed on all the promises they had made to the people of this state,” he alleged.
Replying on factionalism inside the party, he said, the Congress is a big party and some differences in opinion are bound to happen but when it comes to working for the cause of the party, every body unites.
“In today’s meeting, all senior leaders have clarified that they have no personal agenda and defeating BJP is their only priority. All elections, be it the state or the Centre, will be fought under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi. When it comes to nominating leaders for the posts of chief minister, MPs or MLA, the decision will be taken by the leadership,” he said.
Pande further said that even Delhi knows that Congress has strong chances in Rajasthan.
“People have realized that they made a mistake in 2013. We are 200% sure of forming government in Rajasthan,” he said, adding that its is matter of pride that Rajasthan leaders are going all out to strengthen the party in the North-East, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.
State party president Sachin Pilot said the party needs to work hard to turn the wind in favour of Congress.
“In the coming days, we will visit the nooks and corners of the state to tell people where BJP has failed. They have lost peoples’ faith,” Pilot said, adding that the sole priority would be winning elections and the party workers are not vying for nomination to the top posts.
“The incumbent chief minister is making claims of 180 plus (assembly seats), just to please BJP president Amit Shah... It is only because Congress staged protest and demonstrations in favour of people’s interests, schemes and projects such as MNREGS still continue to run. Every section of the society is unhappy with the current BJP government. We will form the government next year with a huge mandate,” he added.