Rahul Gandhi to interact with panchayat, block office-bearers

CUTTACK: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, who is scheduled for a two-day visit to the state next week, will interact with panchayat, block and district-level office-bearers of the Congress.

"Rahulji will be interacting with panchayat, block and district-level office-bearers of the Congress at a personal level," AICC general secretary Jagdish Tytler said after overseeing the arrangements here.

Tytler yesterday took stock of the preparation here for next week's visit of the party's newly-appointed national vice-president, party sources said.

The Gandhi scion is visiting the city for the first time after he was elevated as the second-in-command of the Congress party.

Gandhi will meet the party functionaries and members of the extended working committee only at one venue instead of two here on February 19.

The earlier schedule of a meeting with party functionaries at Windsor Palace at Markat Nagar in the morning and then another meeting with members of the extended working committee at Nehru Indoor Stadium in the evening was changed following the visit of AICC general secretary Jagdish Tytler to the city.

Tytler was accompanied by OPPC chief Niranjan Patnaik, city Congress chief Muhammad Moqim and former ministers Malub Ali and Narasingha Mishra.

While Rahul Gandhi would interact with party functionaries of about 16 districts at Sambalpur on February 18, he will meet functionaries of other districts here on February 19, sources said.