Rahul rallies Congress cadre in Madhya Pradesh; slams BJP over mid-day meal neglect

Bhopal, Nov 8 (IANS) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday galvanised the party’s leadership and grassroots workers in Madhya Pradesh, urging them to further strengthen the organisational network ahead of the 2028 state assembly elections and 2029 general elections.

His visit also featured a blistering attack on the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in the state over their alleged neglect of school-children's welfare.

Addressing a high-level training session of district presidents as part of party's 'Sangthan Srijan Abhiyan' in the colonial hill town of Pachmarhi -- attended by senior Congress figures including former Chief Minister Digvijay Singh, tribal leader Kantilal Bhuria, Umang Singhar, Jeetu Patwari, Kamleshwar Patel, Arun Yadav, Ajay SIngh and Dr Govind Singh -- Rahul Gandhi called on district-level leaders to fortify the party's grassroots structure and amplify farmers' concerns across rural constituencies.

Digvijay Singh presented a detailed three-year strategic roadmap aimed at energising the party's campaign machinery and reconnecting with voters in the state's hinterlands.

The party president emphasised teamwork and cooperation along party lines, and notably addressed workers seated on the floor, underscoring his inclusive approach.

In a gesture of personal outreach, Rahul Gandhi held extensive discussions with district Congress presidents on organisational matters and later joined their families for dinner, fostering camaraderie within the cadre.

The Congress leader's visit took a sharp political turn through a video message posted on his X handle, where he condemned the BJP governments over the deplorable condition of mid-day meals in a government school in Sheopur district.

Viral images showed children eating food served on discarded newspapers, sparking widespread outrage.

"Even after 20 years of BJP rule, children don't have plates to eat their mid-day meals," Rahul Gandhi said, calling it a "shameful" reflection on both Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"These are the same innocent children on whose dreams the future of the country depends, and they don’t even get a plate of respect. More than 20 years of BJP government, and even the children’s plates have been stolen -- their 'development' is just an illusion," he wrote in a scathing post.

Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to stay overnight in Pachmarhi and will fly to Bhopal by helicopter on Sunday for further engagements.

Party sources said Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge is expected to join the deliberations, highlighting Madhya Pradesh's strategic importance as a key battleground in the run-up to the national polls.

With the Congress aiming to reclaim lost ground in the Hindi heartland, Rahul Gandhi's visit signals an aggressive revival strategy -- blending organisational overhaul with pointed criticism of the ruling BJP’s governance failures.

--IANS

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