Rahul Gandhi’s photo clause stumbling block in Congress membership drive

Senior party leaders say that many districts are likely to submit forms on the last date but speaking to The Indian Express, district presidents said that strict guideline of having member’s photograph on the form has put them in stark contrast with BJP in the villages.

[related-post]

“It is a big problem for us, which senior leaders fail to understand. We are charging Rs 5 and asking them to give photographs for which people in rural areas are not ready. On the other hand, BJP is making members with a miss call,” said Shashikant Tripathi, district Congress president, Ballia.

Shailesh Singh, district Congress president Ghazipur expressed similar sentiment. “It is certainly a major problem especially in rural areas, where people pay the membership fee and then ask us to come back again for the photographs. Our grass-root level workers do not have phones and gadgets to take on-spot digital photographs like it is being done in some southern states,” he said.

Ram Bhawan Gupta, district Congress president Chitrakoot, who claims to have made about 20,000 members, also admitted facing the same problem.

On the condition of anonymity, a senior party leader said, “We had raised the issue with AICC general secretary Madhusudan Mistry but he told us that photographs are mandatory and February 28 date will not be extended.”

Sources inform that Mistry will be in Lucknow on February 27 to review the membership drive with all the district presidents in Lucknow.

Asked about the problem, Congress state president Nirmal Khatri also accepted that “some of the districts have reported that villagers are not eager to share their photographs but as it has been made compulsory, no membership form would be accepted without one.” Claiming to make genuine workers unlike BJP, Khatri said they will meet last year’s target when the actual numbers reach them.