Rahul Gandhi takes truck ride from Delhi to Chandigarh, listens to 'Mann Ki Baat' of drivers
Chandigarh/New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi travelled in a truck from Delhi to Chandigarh to listen to the problems faced by truck drivers, the party said on Tuesday.
Gandhi undertook the journey Monday night and in visuals and videos, the former Congress chief, donning his trademark white T-shirt, is seen sitting inside a truck, travelling with a driver and speaking to drivers at a dhaba.
"Leader of the people @RahulGandhi ji reached among the truck drivers to know their problems. Rahul ji travelled with them from Delhi to Chandigarh," the Congress said in a tweet in Hindi.
Gandhi also stopped near a Gurdwara in Ambala City along the Ambala-Chandigarh national highway early Tuesday morning and paid obeisance there.
"According to media reports, there are about 90 lakh truck drivers on the Indian roads. They have their own problems. Rahul ji did the work of listening to their 'Mann Ki Baat'," the Congress said.
Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan told PTI that Gandhi travelled with truck drivers and halted en route and listened to the problems faced by them.
Congress' social media department head Supriya Shrinate shared pictures of Gandhi traveling in a truck and meeting with truck drivers.
"Rahul Gandhi is a different person. Today he is committed to bridging the widening gap between the general public and the government in this country. Then in this heat, be it sitting with the truck drivers all night and listening to their problems or travelling in a truck. In such a few people, the hope of a better future has arisen!" she said in a tweet in Hindi.
Congress sources said Gandhi was on his way to Shimla to spend some time with his mother Sonia Gandhi and on the way he decided to listen to the problems of truck drivers.
Station House Officer of Baldev Nagar police station, Ambala City, Ram Kumar, said at around 4.30 am, Gandhi got down from a truck near Gurdwara Manji Sahib on GT road.
He went inside the gurdwara and paid obeisance and spent a few minutes there. He also had tea in the 'langar' at the gurdwara, Kumar said.
Later, he again boarded a truck and left towards Chandigarh, the SHO said.
Bhan said Gandhi keeps meeting a cross section of people to first-hand know the problems they face.
"Even during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul ji interacted with various sections of people," he said.
जननायक @RahulGandhi जी ट्रक ड्राइवर्स की समस्या जानने उनके बीच पहुंचे।
राहुल जी ने उनके साथ दिल्ली से चंडीगढ़ तक का सफर किया।
मीडिया रिपोर्ट्स के मुताबिक, भारत की सड़कों पर करीब 90 लाख ट्रक ड्राइवर्स हैं। इनकी अपनी समस्याएं हैं। इनके 'मन की बात' सुनने का काम राहुल जी ने किया। pic.twitter.com/Bma2BCjGpY— Congress (@INCIndia) May 23, 2023
आपके राहुल गांधी, आपके बीच 🚛 pic.twitter.com/E3UntZK82G
— Congress (@INCIndia) May 23, 2023
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
ALSO READ: Cong candidate who moved Kerala HC for name reinstatement in voter list, wins
Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
