Rahul, Priyanka interview candidates for block, city unit

Aiming to select the right persons for the post of block and city unit presidents of the party ahead of Lok Sabha polls, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka today interviewed shortlisted candidates here.
On the first day of their visit, Rahul and Priyanka interviewed about 40 candidates for the post of 17 block and five city unit presidents since the morning at the Munshiganj guest house, Congress sources said.
The process will continue tomorrow.
According to those interviewed, the two leaders asked them questions about Congress' history, panchayati raj, major schemes of UPA government, benefits of MNREGS and ways and means for further strengthening the party organisation.

The candidate for Block president's post in Salon, Jitendra Singh said the interview he appeared in was quite similar to the one for any job and in some ways more difficult.
The claimant for Sangrampur block president's post Sabhajit Shukla said it was Priyanka Gandhi who asked more questions than Rahul and the first question that came his way was the reasons for the bad show of the party in the last elections here and why it has become so weak in the state.

Sources said the process for selection of the candidates had started on July 12 on the directives of Rahul and Priyanka.

They said that a merit list was prepared on the basis of candidates' seniority and work done by them by a committee comprising present and former MLAs, members of PCC and AICC which was given to Rahul Gandhi.
Sources said this is the first time that such a method for selecting block and city unit presidents has been adopted in the party.
Earlier on their arrival, the brother-son duo met the family which had lost three of its members in an accident and also heard local people about their problems.