With ally Trinamool Congress occupying the major opposition space in Left-ruled West Bengal after its spectacular electoral victories, the Congress is banking on upcoming visits of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to boost the morale of partymen ahead of the Assembly elections.
While AICC general secretary, Mr Rahul Gandhi, will address a rally to launch the membership drive of the Youth Congress here on Monday, Congress chief, Ms Sonia Gandhi, will be here on September 25 to attend the AICC's eastern zonal conference. "We expect that the visits of Ms Sonia Gandhi and Mr Rahul Gandhi will help boost workers' morale ahead of the crucial Assembly elections scheduled next year," West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) chief, Mr Manas Bhunia, said. He claimed that the proposed visits of the two leaders have made young Congress supporters upbeat. Mr Bhunia would request Mr Rahul to visit the WBPCC office here tomorrow and meet state leaders, Seva Dal and Youth Congress activists.
The young Congress leader would again be in Kolkata during the second or third week of this month for three days to undertake a state-wide tour, Mr Bhunia said. In the past few weeks, at least 42 MLAs from across India have been deputed by Mr Rahul Gandhi to prepare a political status report on the Congress and the Youth Congress at the ground level in West Bengal, and create a climate for a vigorous membership drive, he said. Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress has been occupying the major opposition space in West Bengal after its spectacular victories in Lok Sabha polls and Municipal elections. Banerjee has been addressing a number of rallies across the state ahead of the next year's Assembly polls.