Nagpur Congress team in Delhi seeking leaders’ ear

NAGPUR: A Congress delegation of the city led by district unit president Vikas Thakre is camping in Delhi for the last three days meeting various Central leaders. On Thursday, Thakre managed to have a brief meeting with party president Rahul Gandhi in which he extended invitation to Rahul to visit Nagpur and address the booth-level workers’ convention being planned for next month.
The city unit team, which also included party functionaries Abhijeet Wanjari, Umakant Agnihotri , Prashant Dhawad , Sanjay Mahakalkar, Sandeep Sahare and several corporators, has also met new AICC in-charge of Maharashtra Mallikarjun Kharge. The latter was in a hurry to leave for Bengaluru and gave them time next week to discuss the city unit’s problems and programmes.

Thakre told Rahul the city unit had completed appointment of 1945 booth level representatives and was getting ready to hold a day-long training programme for them. He requested the party president to visit the city on that occasion so party workers in the city which also has RSS headquarters get motivation before the coming elections.

Thakre presented a report of the events he organised in the last four years, especially public agitations on various issues to expose the ruling BJP in the state and the Centre. The delegation also met party organiser Ashok Gehlot, treasurer Motilal Vora and new CWC member Mukul Wasnik.

Sources in the party, however, viewed Thakre team camping in Delhi as more of a lobbying expedition especially after members of the rival faction have already met Kharge seeking conduct of organisational elections in the city unit. Thakre group is pushing for status quo. Their seeking attention in Delhi also became necessary since the faction leader and ex-MP Vilas Muttemwar did not find place in Rahul Gandhi’s first CWC, the all-important decision-making body of the party.