Chintan Shivir: Sonia Gandhi woos women, middle class

Jaipur: A day after Rahul Gandhi’s anointment as party’s Vice President, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today targeted youth, women and middle class in the party’s quest for widening its base ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Opening the AICC session here after the two-day Chintan Shivir, she also made some plain speaking to her party-men saying they should not indulge in nepotism and should show unity to face the challenge of elections which are 15 months away. [caption id=“attachment_594998” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Sonia Gandhi.[/caption] She said party leaders should work for the welfare of all and not restrict themselves to their “favourites”. “I am sure if we make the right efforts with unity, there is no doubt in my mind why we will not get the mandate again,” she said. Gandhi said she was happy with the participation of the younger colleagues in the brain storming conclave and hoped that it will help the party project new leadership. With apparently the huge middle class in her mind, she spoke of women’s empowerment in the context of the gang rape of the Delhi and of the need to fight corruption in public life. PTI