Rahul's hard work to bear fruit in LS polls: UPCC chief

"Report on Rahul Gandhi's meetings in the recent assembly elections witnessing huge turnouts but the party failing to benefit from it is half truth...It is because of this that there had been an increase of three per cent vote," Khatri, who took over as the UPCC president, told party workers.

"The vote percentage of only Congress and SP increased in these elections, while that of the BSP and BJP came down," he said, adding these elections proved that people wanted to hear Rahul at his meetings. The shortcoming is not in the leader but in the organisation which failed to convert it into votes.

Khatri said the hard work put in by Rahul in 2007 assembly elections paid dividends in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls and similarly his efforts in 2012 assembly polls would benefit the party in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Desisting from lashing out at his political opponents, he said it would be better if the organisation is strengthened by giving it a new direction and said the new zonal system started in the state unit by dividing it into eight zones and giving responsibility to senior leaders would give it a boost.

To pep up the morale of the workers, he vowed to restore their faith by establishing personal rapport with them.

The UPCC president said the politics of caste and religion can be countered through sheer hard work and dedication.

Almost all important leaders including Union ministers, MPs and outgoing UPCC president Rita Bahuguna Joshi were present.