In Mumbai, Rahul to launch project "empowering" Cong workers

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who will be in Mumbai next week, will launch a project that seeks to establish a direct communication link with party workers and elicit their views on various issues.

Gandhi will unveil the project, "Shakti", when he meets the ground-level party workers during his much-awaited visit to Mumbai on June 12, a party leader said today.

It is a unique initiative. Gandhi will interact with Congress workers who form the foundation of the party, Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam said in a statement today.

"Project 'Shakti' will not only ensure connect with the ground-level workers but also ensure their grievances, if any, are resolved immediately. Also, it will help us look at the problems of Mumbai at the micro level," he said.

"Rahul ji wants to be constantly in touch with his people, and he feels project 'Shakti' will help in that endeavour," added Nirupam, a former Member of Parliament.

The project has been envisaged ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, which are less than a year away.

The initiative aims to establish a two-way direct communication in the Congress - between the ground-level workers and the party's central leadership, the statement said.

Party workers will be enrolled for the project and then they need to send an SMS on a contact number provided to them by officials.

The project will ensure a proper flow of communication internally and help the ground-level workers share their ideas and views with the central leadership of the party. This will boost their morale, the statement read.

This project will be conducted on a national-level catering to multiple states and will be launched in Mumbai on June 12, it said.

During the day-long visit, Gandhi is also scheduled to address a congregation of booth-level Congress workers at the Goregaon Exhibition Centre in the suburbs.

This will be one of the most crucial events for the Congress with regard to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, said Nirupam.