Rahul’s ’spies’ to be his eyes in Kerala

Congress leader delegates team of 20 Youth Congress leaders to the southern state, who are supposed to report to him about the party's operations there before elections on April 13

Rahul's 'spies' to be his eyes in Kerala

Congress leader delegates team of 20 Youth Congress leaders to the southern state, who are supposed to report to him about the party's operations there before elections on April 13

Do not let Rahul Gandhi's appearances at the last two World Cup matches, in Mohali and Mumbai, fool you into thinking the Congress General Secretary was whiling precious time away right before elections pending in five states.

Rahul Gandhi is expected to visit the state on April 10

Like leaders tend to, the Youth Congress chief delegated work.

He has sent 10 of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) presidents from Mumbai to keep an eye on their Kerala counterparts, to monitor the groundwork for the upcoming Kerala Assembly polls on April 13. An equal number of IYC office bearers from Uttar Pradesh have also been assigned a similar job.

Sources from Kerala revealed that a contingent of 20 members has been sent by Gandhi to study the Kerala poll. Divided into five groups, they will visit five different constituencies in the state prior to the election. What is little known is that they are supposed to report back on the Kerala workers to their leader in Mumbai.

"Gandhi has asked for a report on the pre-poll activities of the party in Kerala. He has directed the team to not only look for positive strategies the state presidents are adopting for the election, but also for faults if any. Each person will prepare their own report to be submitted to Gandhi," said the source.

"However, the Kerala party workers," added the source, "do not have an inkling that they will be monitored and assessed, and their activities will be reported back to Gandhi."

So, although the Kerala counterparts are aware of the Mumbai team present in the state, they are unaware that it will prepare a report on their work, which may put them in a tight spot.

All for Mumbai

"Gandhi wants to strike a chord with the common man. The officer bearers are going to keep a tab on the Opposition party's activities so that no mistakes are made in elections in other states.
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Gandhi is angling for a good hold for the Mumbai Assembly elections in 2012 and wants to perfect his Mumbai team," added the source Akram Anees Khan and Rahul Kanal, office bearers from Mumbai Youth Congress, who are part of Rahul's delegation in Kerala, confirmed the same, but they refused to comment. "We cannot talk on this. It is party protocol," said Khan.

According to sources, the team is in Kerala for the last 10 days and is set to come back today. The scion himself is expected to visit the state on April 10.

Syed Azmatullah Hussaini, secretary, IYC, also the in charge of the IYC training programmes in Kerala , called this an 'interstate exchange program' under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi.
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"This is an interstate exchange programme where youth presidents from different states are invited to study the working pattern of their counterparts and adopt the same if required.

This is the reason members from Mumbai have been invited to Kerala," he said.

Asked if the members will file a report on the same, Hussaini refused to comment, stating that he cannot disclose any more details.