(REOPENS CAL16)

Rahul offered a three-point solution to improve Congress prospects in the BJD-ruled state, which included giving tickets in time, bringing in unity and empowering grassroots leaders. He said Congress has a healthy vote share of about 30 per cent in the state and requires discipline and unity to ensure a victory in the next elections. His meeting in Odisha marks the beginning of his similar visits to other states after he held a three-day interaction programme with AICC office bearers and a two-day meet with PCC chiefs and CLP leaders in the national capital. He lauded the high-potential of the state Congress leaders and said it was important to harness their strengths. Congress is out of power in Odisha since 2000. Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee chief Niranjan Patnaik told Rahul during the interaction that the partymen were enthused by his speech at Congress Chintan Shivir in Jaipur in which he had stressed the need for rules and focus on grassroots workers and now it was time for the Congress Vice President to implement whatever he had said then, sources said. Patnaik also said that to rejuvenate the party it is important to have "workers who are well informed, who can take up popular issues and remain connected with the people." "Often we have not spent enough time or energy in building our workers, building an ideological base. No party can survive without an ideology. So, building an organisation with workers who are committed to the Congress ideology is the key to the revival of the organisation," he said. During the interaction, Rahul said clear demarcation of accountability will be made. Patnaik said chances of a win in the state should not be spoilt by in-fighting. "Our disunity is BJD's strength and this has to be understood. We also know contradictions within BJD can be a big advantage if we stay united and if we ensure that our voters remain with us," he said. Patnaik talked about the party's state-wide movement for parivartan in the last six months.