New Delhi: The Rahul Gandhi impact was
clearly visible in the victory of Congress in the recently
concluded elections in Maharashtra and Haryana, where the
young leader campaigned for three days, party sources said.
Congress sources said out of 11 seats where the AICC
general secretary addressed rallies, the party won nine.
Gandhi had addressed rallies in Kalamnuri, Teosa,
Yavatmal, Chandrapur, Panvel, Pune Cantonment, Shahada, and
Aurangabad in Maharashtra.
In Haryana, the Congress leader had addressed meetings
in Ballabhgarh, Ateli, and Samalkha.
Except Samalkha in Haryana and Chandrapur in Maharashtra,
Congress candidates won elections in all the remaining
constituencies.
In Maharashtra, where Gandhi addressed rallies, the
party retained its two sitting seats and gained five more from
other parties. The seats it gained included three earlier held
by BJP, one by Shiv Sena and one by Peasants and Workers
Party.
In Haryana, Ballabhgarh was the sitting seat of Congress
while it wrested Ateli from an Independent.
AICC general secretary B K Hari Prasad said, "The party
won elections in the three states due to serious efforts of
party president Sonia Gandhi and young leader Rahul Gandhi."
He added that the latter inspired the youth who played
a key role in the Congress' victory.
Bureau Report
First Published: Thursday, October 22, 2009, 23:18