Cong to hold 24,000 'Indira family meets' in memory of ex-PM

With an eye on the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Congress in Kerala is all set to hold over 24,000 family meets to strengthen the party's grassroot base and highlight the "anti-people" policies of the centre and state government.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee sources here said family get together, which will see participation of senior leaders, MPs and MLAs of respective areas, will be held in 24,417 booth committees of the party during June-July.
The evening get together, titled as 'Indira Family Meets', are planned as part of the birth centenary celebrations of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi,they said.
Indira memorial lectures would be organised and documentaries on the life and contributions of the former prime minister would be screened during the events.

The "anti-people" and "fascist" policies of BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, which is celebrating its third anniversary, and Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government in state, which completed its first year in office, would be exposed before the public in the string of family meets, they said.
Short films exposing the "administrative failure" of both the central and state governments would also be screened.

KPCC General Secretary Thampanoor Ravi said this is the first time that the party is organising family meets on such a large scale.
"The strength of the party lies in the strength of booth committees. KPCC is organising family meets in such a massive scale to strengthen the booth committees and revitalise grassroot level party workers," he told PTI.

He said the party is aiming at rejuvenating its grassroot level base through the family meets targetting the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.
"We will expose the fascist face of BJP-RSS forces who are trying to destroy the secular fabric of the country. The politics of violence promoted by ruling CPI(M) in the state will also be unveiled before public," Ravi said.
Besides this, the local issues of respective areas would also be discussed in the meets.
As many as one lakh tree saplings, five in each booth, would be planted across the state in memory of Indira Gandhi, the leader said, adding, two KPCC officials have been designated to supervise preparations of the meet.

Congress veteran A K Antony will launch the state-wide programme at Jagathy here this evening, he added.
A host of prominent leaders, including KPCC president M M Hassan and opposition leader in the state Assembly Ramesh Chennithala, would attend the meet.