Chane pe Charcha: Rahul does a Modi

Amethi: In the scorching summer of Amethi, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday visited the thatched-roof residence of a party worker to share with his family 'bhuna chana' (roasted gram) with chilly-garlic cutney and jaggery, prompting Congressmen accompanying him to coin a phrase 'Chane pe Charcha', reminiscent of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Chai pe Charcha' campaign in the run-up to 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
The 'Chane pe Charcha' took place at the residence of Ravindra Singh, whose wife is the pradhan of Ghohra village. In the backdrop of a cattle shed, Rahul happily posed with party workers for photographs and inquired about the well-being of others in the Amethi constituency. Congress workers said such an exercise could soon become a regular feature in Rahul's constituency.
Ravindra Singh told TOI that Rajiv Gandhi, too, had visited his place. "We requested Rahulji to make Priyanka Gandhi Vadra the face of Congress in UP assembly elections," he said. Earlier in the day, the Congress vice-president held a meeting with party workers at the district Congress committee office. The last time such a meeting was held at this office was after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. "It was a meeting in which Rahul interacted with virtually all party workers of the district," Rajkumar Pandey, who met Rahul, said. He said almost all party workers felt that for the first time, they could walk up to Rahul and convey their views and added that this was in the interest of the Congress.
"The interactive meeting started at around 10.45 am, and continued for almost an hour. It was attended by 400-500 party workers," Ashok Dubey, in-charge of the Gauriganj assembly segment, said. Shresh Shukla and Anil Singh, who attended the meeting, said Rahul's endeavour was to establish a close rapport with each party worker. "Hence, it was more personal for us," they said.