Sonia, Rahul set Sept dates with Bengal to boost workers’ morale

KOLKATA: In the run-up to the 2011 assembly elections in West Bengal, the state Congress leadership is working hard to boost the morale of party workers, most of whom are seemingly upset over the Trinamool Congress’ unexpected growth and popularity.

To boost the morale of the party workers, All India Youth Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will visit Kolkata either on September 6 or 8 to launch the membership drive of the party’s youth wing. He will also address a rally of the Congress workers at Shaheed Minar during his visit.

“Mr Gandhi will come again in Kolkata during second or third week of September when he will stay in West Bengal for three consecutive days and tour most of the districts,” West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) president Manas Bhunia told ET on Tuesday.

In the month of September, Kolkata will witness another big political event when Congress president Sonia Gandhi will inaugurate the special AICC session for the north-eastern states here on September 25. WBPCC expects that the proposed visits of Ms Sonia Gandhi and Mr Rahul Gandhi will help boost workers’ morale ahead of the crucial assembly polls.

Mr Bhunia said on Tuesday that already a few Union ministers and MPs have started touring all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal. “Most of these ministers and MPs belong to the Youth Congress and members of Mr Gandhi’s team which is working country-wide to carry out the membership drive for the party’s youth wing. These ministers and MPs are attending indoor meetings to encourage the membership drives for the youth wing,” Mr Bhunia said.

An emergency meeting of the WBPCC was held on Tuesday to finalise the meetings of these Union ministers and party MPs to carry out the membership drive. These leaders would be touring the districts between August 26 and September 1 and important among these are former Indian skipper and MP, Azharuddin, Ms Priya Dutt, actor Raj Babbar, Sachin Pilot and Jitin Prasad.

The places these ministers and MPs will be touring include Cooch Behar, Berhampore, Asansol, Siliguri, Malda, Burdwan, Durgapur, Kakdwip in South 24-Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, Haldia, Ranaghat, Keshpur and Barasat.

Youth Congress leader Usha Naidu, who was heckled by Trinamool Congress activists at Khejuri in East Midnapore district, is scheduled to visit Keshpur in the Maoist-infested West Midnapore district on September 1 along with Mr Bhunia. Ms Naidu will also visit Haldia in East Midnapore district on August 31. Interestingly, Haldia is now a Trinamool Congress stronghold.