Date:28/10/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/10/28/stories/2007102853680400.htm

New Delhi

DPCC chief seeks to revive party fortunes

Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

Hopeful: J.P. Agarwal

NEW DELHI: Convinced that he has been given the job to unite, revive and rejuvenate the party in Delhi, Pradesh Congress President J. P. Agarwal has been busy making friends and motivating the cadre through his outreach programme that seeks to cover all 140 blocks by the end of November. And before Delhi goes to the next Assembly polls he hopes to cover every block at least five times.

Mr. Agarwal speaking to The Hindu over the weekend observed that since he does not belong to any “camp”, he has a very focussed approach. “I want to motivate my workers and office-bearers. And this canbe done only by reaching out to them and felicitating and honouring them. This increases their prestige among others and they are motivated to put their best foot forward for the party.”

A three-time member of the Lok Sabha, Mr. Agarwal says he ensures a few things before he visits his party workers: “I give them only a few hours’ notice so that they are able to gather a few of their supporters and local party functionaries and representatives. This also saves them unnecessary expenditure and I want to make it a point that money plays very little part in my style of polity.”

To give a personal touch to his visits, Mr. Agarwal has also got special table clocks prepared. These bear photographs of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, party general secretary Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Mr. Agarwal himself and the concerned block president. “I present each of them with a shawl and this clock, which they treasure as a memento.”

Through this approach, Mr. Agarwal is hoping to make friends in all the Parliamentary and Assembly segments of Delhi. “With each of these 140 office-bearers there are at least 50 more workers who get closer to the party. So soon we would have a force of, say, 7,000 dedicated workers for us.”

As for the big leaders and their differences, Mr. Agarwal insists that he has been trying to take everyone alone. “When I was felicitated by New Delhi MP Ajay Maken, Ms. Dikshit was present. Also when Karol Bagh MP Krishna Tirath organised a similar function, the Chief Minister had attended it. Likewise, Mr. Jagdish Tytler and Mr. Sajjan Kumar have been present in many of these felicitations. We are all working together as a cohesive unit and I am confident that by the next Assembly elections, all the leaders would have buried their hatchets.”