Rahul Gandhi likely to kick off MPCC’s statewide yatra

Mumbai: Starting September, the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) will reach out to all Assembly constituencies, ahead of the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections next year. The mass-contact drive called “Parivartan Yatra” is likely to begin in western Maharashtra and culminate in Vidarbha. The ambitious statewide tour is meant for the party to reestablish connect with the people and prepare the cadre for the upcoming elections. The three-month-long yatra is likely to be kicked-off by Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

A senior leader of the Congress said, “We are in the final stages of preparation for the yatra. The route is being finalised. Maharashtra has been a Congress bastion and there are party workers in every corner of the state. This yatra is aimed at reaching out to all those workers and prepare them for the polls.”

State Congress chief Ashok Chavan met all district presidents and senior leaders of the MPCC on Saturday in Mumbai. They discussed different issues, including an alliance with oth-er parties. “The Congress is trying to get 10 to 11 different parties on board to accommodate all voices in state politics. Secular and progressive parties will be in the grand all-iance. Talks with different parties have already started in an unofficial manner,” said a former minister and close confidante of Mr Chavan.

The Congress plans to reach out to all 288 Ass-embly constituencies. However in the alliance, it will have to leave a major chunk to all parties including the Nation-alist Congress Party (NCP). The former minister said, “Our yatra will help all probable alliance partners. We will ask workers to start dialogue with local counterparts. This will make the seat-sharing process smooth.”