New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi, who has stepped down as Congress President, will visit Amethi on Wednesday for the first time since he was defeated in his traditional Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh.
Gandhi will hold a closed door meeting with party workers. Party leaders told IANS that Gandhi will be on a day’s visit to Amethi.
A party leader said that during his visit to Amethi’s Gauriganj (district headquarter) Gandhi will attend a closed door meeting of party workers at Nirmala Institute of Women’s Education.
The leader said that Gandhi during his meeting with party workers will discuss the reasons for his loss in the election.
Gandhi will also interact with the public as he lost from his family pocket borough to Union minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani by 55,000 votes.
Gandhi’s visit is an indication that he has not given up on Amethi which used to be his family’s bastion till he lost the polls. On Monday, Congress MLC Deepak Singh said, “Rahul has always treated Amethi as his family and he is coming to meet his family members. It is not a political visit.”
He said the visit is designed to boost the morale of party workers after the Congress’ rout in the Lok Sabha polls. A party leader requesting anonymity said that Gandhi is likely to change his team in Amethi following the recommendations from several party workers.
Party workers have blamed Gandhi’s representatives for poor campaigning in Amethi which led to his loss. Party sources said that Gandhi may appoint K.L. Sharma as the Amethi in-charge once again.
Last month, his sister Priyanka Gandhi, during her visit to Rae Bareli to thank voters along with her mother and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, came down heavily on party workers for not ensuring the victory of Congress candidates.
She felt that the proximity of many activists with senior leaders had reduced the party to such a state. Earlier, a three-member Congress team had visited Amethi and submitted a report to Priyanka Gandhi citing the reasons for the loss.
Rahul Gandhi has represented Amethi for three consecutive terms, starting in 2004. In this Lok Sabha election, the Congress bagged only one seat in Uttar Pradesh with Sonia Gandhi winning from Rae Bareli.
[source_without_link]IANS[/source_without_link]