Claiming that the Congress is not getting political mileage for the Centrally sponsored flagship schemes, state party leaders are gearing up to build brand “Rahul Bhaiyya” image on the lines of former Prime Minister Indira
Gandhi. The Congress leaders are of the view that they have to drum up in states so that people should know that funds from the Centre are coming to them due to “Rahul Bhaiyya”, as was the popular slogan in south India for “Indira Amma”.
The focus on brand “Rahul Bhaiyya” came during a session held in the “war room” of the Congress on Gurudwara Raqab Ganj Road on flagship schemes, which was attended by concerned ministers, chiefs of 14 state Pradesh Congress Committee and also members of the monitoring committee of the party at the state level.
“The fact is that there is no connect between the Centre and the people on the ground, who is the beneficiary of the schemes. The people think that the money comes from the states. Therefore, it’s time to replicate the popular perception in South India earlier that the money came to them due to Indira Amma for Rahul Bhaiyya,” said a Congress leader who attended the session on Wednesday.
A delegate from Rajasthan told ministers, sources said, that a new scheme should be announced before consulting the state Congress leaders so that proper atmosphere could be created for having got it due to “Rahul Bhaiyya”.
The session was attended by Union minister for rural development Jairam Ramesh, who reportedly told the Congress leaders that the Centre could not do much due to federal arrangement and even pointed out that despite complaints of financial irregularities a CBI probe could not be initiated without the concurrence of the state government or a court order.
A delegate of Madhya Pradesh reportedly said in the session that the state government is still using the photographs of former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in projects executed under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY).
The delegates, sources said, told the ministers that they need to improve the monitoring of the implementation of the flagship schemes. A number of Congress leaders told Mr Ramesh that the Centre should take steps to increase the wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, sources added.