New Delhi: In a first, any commoner would be able to meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge without an appointment during an open house session starting June 1.
Kharge had started hosting open house sessions soon after becoming party chief in October 2022, but only party workers and leaders were allowed at such meetings. “The Congress president has held four to five such open houses so far. Usually, party workers and leaders would come and discuss issues or share their problems with him. Now, even a common person desirous of meeting the party chief can come without any appointment,” AICC functionary Gurdeep Singh Sappal, who is part of Kharge’s office, told ETV Bharat.
“The attempt is to bridge the gap between the top party leader and the common man,” he said. Accordingly, Kharge will devote two hours for the open house to be held at the Congress national headquarters at 24, Akbar Road, New Delhi. “Kharge ji will be available from 11.30 am to 1.30 pm in his chamber on June 1. Any Congress worker or a desirous person can meet him from 12 noon onwards without an appointment also,” said Sappal.
The move thrilled the party workers and leaders who have been trying to regroup the Congress in the national capital. “What a great way to function,” AICC secretary in charge of Rajasthan Amrita Dhawan said. “I welcome the move. This should be a routine for at least a few days a month. Congress is a sea of loyal grassroots workers and the party should not take its biggest asset for granted,” said social worker Gursimar Bindra of Delhi.
Prajjal Sinha, involved with the party’s social media department in the West Bengal unit said, “Great initiative. This will boost the morale of the party and provide more information from the ground.” According to party insiders, such open houses were not possible when former party chief Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi were at the helm due to the very strict security details around them.
However, this is much easier to handle in the case of Kharge, they said. On his part, Kharge had highlighted his humble beginnings, his struggles and his first-hand experience of the problems faced by party workers during his acceptance speech after he was elected party chief. Over the past years, various internal assessments had shown that the party leadership needed to charge up and revive the dormant workers whose morale had nosedived as a result of the past electoral losses both in the states and at the Centre.
“However, the two recent wins in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka have charged up the party workers, who now think they can take on the BJP juggernaut,” said an AICC functionary. “As far as Kharge is concerned, he has worked at the ground level and can even surprise seasoned leaders with his correct crowd estimates during public meetings. Khargeji knows English, Hindi, Kannada and Marathi and can therefore converse with workers from across the country on a one-to-one basis. Plus, his seniority and his neutral image are appreciated by leaders and workers from all the states,” he added.
Also read: Kharge lucky for Congress, delivers Karnataka after Himachal
