Thaindian News

Patna, Feb 1 (IANS) Congress MP and party general secretary Rahul Gandhi began a two-day visit to Bihar Monday aimed at galvanising the state unit for the assembly elections later this year.
Gandhi arrived in West Champaran district where he will interact with youth Congress leaders. He chose to start his visit from West Champaran as the place is associated with Mahatma Gandhi’s civil disobedience movement.

“Soon after his arrival, young Congress leader Rahul Gandhi drove to Bhitiharwa Ashram where Mahatma Gandhi started his civil disobedience movement in 1918,” Congress leader Sameer Kumar Singh said.

After West Champaran, Gandhi will visit Darbhanga district where he will hold discussions with students of Lalit Narayan Mithila University.

Later, he will visit Bodh Gaya in Gaya district to meet youth from marginalised sections.

In the evening, Gandhi will visit Patna to meet Congress leaders at the party headquarters Sadaquat Ashram.

“Rahul Gandhi will address senior Congress leaders to inspire and instil confidence in them to work towards strengthening the party,” a Congress leader said.

The Congress general secretary is scheduled to address a press conference in Patna Tuesday and then interact with students at the Patna Women’s College.

With the Youth Congress having launched a membership drive Jan 12 as part of the process to conduct organisational elections in the state, Gandhi will interact with potential candidates at several places including Darbhanga, Patna, Gaya and Kishanganj. His visit is expected to give a boost to the membership drive, a party source said.

The party source said the visit to the state had been delayed by some days due to infighting in Bihar Congress over the list of office-bearers declared earlier last month. Senior state Congress leaders have demanded removal of state Congress chief Anil Sharma.