Chintan Shivir: Rahul Gandhi interacts with porters before boarding train to Udaipur, watch

NEW DELHI: Projecting himself as an ‘aam aadmi’, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Thursday interacted with porters ahead of boarding the train for the party’s upcoming Chintan Shivir in Udaipur from May 13-15.

Upon his arrival at the New Delhi Railway Station, the Gandhi scion was welcomed by the porters’ association. According to sources, Rahul boarded the train at Sarai Rohilla railway station in Delhi and was accompanied by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Delhi Congress chief Anil Chaudhary, Lok Sabha member Manickam Tagore and other leaders.

The porters’ association members presented a bouquet to Rahul and urged him to end their contractual work arrangement. 

#WATCH | Delhi: Railway porters interact with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on board a train to Udaipur, Rajasthan. Congress leaders are heading to Udaipur for the party's Chintan Shivir that begins tomorrow.

(Source: AICC) pic.twitter.com/dxAufjQID1

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Rahul accepted the bouquet and assured the porters to look into their issue. Sources said the party has booked a bogey that will take the Congress leaders to Udaipur, where the Shivir officially opens on Friday.

Ahead of its brainstorming conclave here, the Congress asserted on Thursday that it was the principal opposition party but was conscious of its "shortcomings" and was ready to ''transform'' itself by working on its ideology and organisation.

The party said it would introspect in the next three days to embark on a new direction by confronting various challenges paving the way for the country's bright future.

The three-day 'Nav Sankalp Chintan Shivir' is being held in the backdrop of a string of electoral defeats and dissent in the party which has seen a sharp decline in the last seven years. The Shivir will focus on time-bound party restructuring, finding ways to combat politics of polarisation and getting battle-ready for upcoming electoral challenges.

Underlining the importance of the conclave, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that the Congress is the principal opposition party in the country and people had expectations from it. This Shivir is for the country and through it, the party will send a new message to people all over, he said.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the session is being held at a time when the country is facing the challenge of polarisation. Politics of hatred and division is being played out in the country by the BJP and there is a need to find answers on how to tackle them, he said.

"There is a need to bring about organisational changes. At a time when the country is facing multiple challenges, it is natural that Congress will discharge its responsibilities towards the people and articulate their concerns. That is why we are holding the Nav Sankalp Shivir," he told reporters.

"We know that the country has expectations from the Congress. We know we have limitations, we know we have shortcomings and we know that we need to improve our ideology and organisation further and adapt to the changing circumstances and transform ourselves. With this thought in mind, we have organised this Chintan Shivir," said Surjewala.

"The outcome of this conclave from the brave land of Udaipur, we feel that it will not just give direction to the Congress to tackle the present challenges but will also pave the way for India's golden future," he said.

Sending out a clear message to critics within the organisation, Congress president Sonia Gandhi at a CWC meeting earlier this week cautioned ahead of the session that self-criticism is needed in party forums but it should not be done to erode self-confidence and morale, as she asserted that it is time "to repay our debt to the party".

Gandhi had also warned that the 'Chintan Shivir' should not become a ritual while asserting that she was determined that it should herald a restructured organisation to meet the many ideological, electoral and managerial tasks it confronts.

The issue of leadership in Congress is not likely to be discussed at the Udaipur conclave, party sources said, though several leaders are likely to rake up the demand for Rahul Gandhi to take over the party leadership. 

(With PTI Inputs)