Rahul Gandhi during his 10 km padyatra in Hanumangarh
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi today said the party will give tickets in the elections only to those who have worked on ground for the poor, farmers and labourers.
"Those who will be seen on road and field will contest the Lok Sabha or assembly polls, and those who fail to do so, party would not care for them," Mr Gandhi said during his 'Padyatra' at meetings at Surawali and Amarsinghwal, 40 kms from Hanumangarh.
Hundreds of farmers and general public, who had come with their problems of water logging along the Indira Gandhi Canal Project (IGNP), attended the meetings.
Referring to water logging in the fields in Bikaner, Hanumangarh and Sriganganagar districts, he said, Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sachin Pilot and Leader of Opposition Rameshwar Dudi will raise this issue in Vidhan Sabha and on roads, and try to resolve it before the next elections.
Congress would not wait for the next assembly polls, our workers would work and fight for the labourers, farmers, and the poor, he added.
At the public hearings at Khothawali, Surawali, and Amarsinghwala, representatives and Congress leaders highlighted the problems and grievances of farmers, labourers, tribals, and poor people related to irrigation, education, power, food security, employment, medical and health, and tribal welfare schemes which were either stopped by the BJP government or put on review.
At Surawali, when farmers highlighted water logging in 12 bigha of fields, and the on going agitation of Rajasthan Kisan Sangarh Samiti, led by Om Prakash Bhanu, Mr Gandhi said,"If you call me any day, I will come joining your agitation anywhere in these districts".
"Congress party would not allow supply of polluted water from IGNP that is causing cancer in people", he said.
Mr Gandhi termed PPP model as private-private-partnership saying it was specially for industrialists, may be two or three.
"We are not against industrialists or businessmen, what we want a balance act in all fields, and priority of government should be on both sides, common men and industrialists", he said.
Meanwhile, late in the evening, the Congress Vice President returned to Jaipur from Hanumangarh.