Rahul Gandhi will be seen in new avatar after Bharat Jodo Yatra: Digvijaya Singh
Turuvukere (Karnataka) (PTI): Rahul Gandhi has become a symbol of "Bharat Jodo" (unite India) and will be seen in a new avatar post the Congress' pan-India march, senior party leader Digvijaya Singh on Sunday said.
Singh, who has been a part of the Bharat Jodo Yatra since it started from Kanyakumari, told PTI in an interview that the march has definitely impacted the Congress positively as it is for the first time after many years that the grand old party is being discussed in remote areas, villages and people are very impressed that Rahul Gandhi is walking all the way.
The yatra will help strengthen the party, he said while noting that the commitment to ideology and leadership is missing in the Congress at present.
Rahul Gandhi is spearheading the yatra that began in Kanyakumari and will end in Jammu and Kashmir. A host of Congress leaders will walk 3,500 km during the march.
"In this country, if anyone does 'tyag' (sacrifice), he is always revered. Sonia Gandhi did 'tyag' of the prime minister's post. And here, Rahul Gandhi is walking, sweating in the heat, standing in the rain, fighting all kinds of fake news and defamation. He has become a symbol of Bharat Jodo," the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister said.
Asked which way has the Yatra helped Rahul, Singh said, "Well, you shall see him now in his new avatar."
He said he has known Rahul for a long time and once he decides to do something, nothing can stop him from achieving that.
"The day he decides, no one will be able to stop him," he said on Rahul's political journey forward.
"Frankly, I have always seen him as a very highly committed and ideologically committed person with a highly inquisitive mind. He would not let you go until he has his answers. And, he is a prolific leader and very spiritual too," the veteran Congress leader said.
Singh, who has dropped out of the race for the post of Congress president and became proposer for party veteran Mallikarjun Kharge, noted that the Congress is "extremely poor" as an organisation as compared to the BJP organisation, which is a cadre-based party.
The Congress is part of a mass movement and new leaders emerge out of past movements.
"Obviously, new leadership will emerge from the party," he said, adding those who are taking part in the march have left their homes and showing their commitment.
Elections for the Congress president's post will take place on October 17 and results will be announced on October 19.
The Congress veteran also dwelled on the weaknesses of the party and efforts to overcome them.
What is missing in this party is the commitment to ideology and leadership, he rued, adding the party is also giving confused signals.
"One of the major weaknesses of the Congress party is that it works in silos. There is no horizontal integration of all Congressmen at the cutting edge, which is the grassroot at the ground level. We have attempted this in this yatra. This is the format that we are preparing," he said.
Talking about the yatra, he said they have appointed coordinators for every state and district and the party's frontal bodies and cells are also doing so, which will help strengthen the organisation structure at the grassroot level.
He said party leaders have been assigned identifiable tasks to fill in and visit many households and provide feedback.
The biggest achievement of the yatra is that the media is looking at us now, he said, adding Congress workers are out of their home, in the streets and on the roads now.
Singh also hit out at some Congress leaders, saying there are some leaders who are experts in all India politics but have not ventured out of their homes in Delhi.
The party veteran, who has played an important role in the organisation for a long time, said he is amused that the BJP is criticising it and is reacting to it.
Asked what would be his advice to detractors of Rahul Gandhi and the party, he said, "Take a walk".
Asked if a new Digvijaya Singh would emerge from this yatra, Singh said he remains a humble, down-to-earth Congress worker.
Citing seven defamation cases filed against him, he said whether he is in a position or not, he walks on the streets and fights them.
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IPL final shifted for bigger stadium, not ticket issue: Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday rubbished allegations that the IPL final venue was shifted from Bengaluru to Ahmedabad due to the distribution of tickets to MLAs.
Speaking to reporters, Shivakumar said the reason for the shift could be the availability of a larger stadium in Ahmedabad.
“Ahmedabad has a large stadium and can accommodate more spectators. That must be the reason the IPL final was shifted there. There is no connection between ticket distribution to MLAs and the venue change,” he said.
When asked about reports linking the venue shift to MLAs demanding tickets, he quipped, “In some places, 50 per cent of tickets are reserved.”
When reporters said the BCCI had indicated that the decision was linked to ticket issues, he responded, “Let them make such statements. I will respond appropriately.”
Bengaluru was originally expected to host the final as the Royal Challengers Bengaluru were the defending champions.
Ahmedabad will host the IPL final for a second successive season on May 31, the BCCI announced earlier in the day, while allotting Qualifier 1 to Dharamsala and two other playoff games to New Chandigarh.
The board, however, said the final venue was shifted “owing to certain requirements from the local association and authorities that were beyond the scope of BCCI’s established guidelines and protocols.”
Shivakumar declined to comment on the revocation of the suspension of Muslim leaders in Davanagere, saying it was a party decision.
Regarding the removal of MLC Naseer Ahmed as CM Siddaramaiah’s political secretary, he said the chief minister had already spoken on the matter.
“The CM has his own information. Party office-bearers have provided guidance. He was given certain responsibilities, which he did not handle properly, which is why he was removed,” Shivakumar said.
On MLC Abdul Jabbar, who resigned as the state Congress minority cell chief and was later expelled from the party, he said Jabbar had submitted his resignation, which the party accepted.
The Congress in Karnataka faced internal dissent in April when several Muslim leaders objected to the party fielding Samarth Shamanur as its candidate for the recently held Davanagere South Assembly bypoll.
They demanded that a Muslim candidate be fielded, citing the constituency’s substantial Muslim population. The party subsequently took disciplinary action against three leaders, including Jabbar and MLC Ahmed.
When asked about his and the CM’s visit to Delhi, he said, “We will go when the high command calls us. It is not appropriate to go without being called.”
On Congress supporting TVK in Tamil Nadu, Shivakumar said the decision was taken to keep the "BJP out of power and strengthen secular forces." Elections to the 234 Assembly constituencies were held on April 23, and the results were announced on May 4.
The Congress party, a long-time ally of the DMK, announced its support for TVK to form a government in Tamil Nadu and severed ties with the Dravidian major.
The incumbent DMK was trounced by the fledgling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, led by Vijay, who secured 108 seats. “Despite pressure from the AIADMK and BJP, TVK did not align with them. Our party has taken this decision in the interest of secular forces and the welfare of Tamil Nadu,” Shivakumar said.
