Gehlot for making Rahul AICC gen secretary

New Delhi, Apr 25 (UNI) Reacting to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's expression of readiness to accept any party responsibility in Uttar Pradesh, AICC general secretaries Ashok Gehlot and Digvijay Singh today said it was high time his talent and charisma were used by the party to improve its base.

Mr Gehlot, who is also in charge of the Congress Affairs in the state, said he would like Mr Gandhi to be made general secretary and given charge of organisations like the Youth Congress or the National Students Unions etc.

''In the AICC Hyderabad session, party workers had unanimously voiced their demand for giving responsibilities to Mr Gandhi, and it was now high time that the party did so,'' he told reproters here.

Mr Gandhi, who is campaigning for his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi in the Lok Sabha byelections in the Rae Bareily constituency in Uttar Pradesh, today told reporters there that he was ready to accept any responsibility for his partry if he was asked to do so.

Mr Gehlot said the young Congress MP's statements reflect his concern over the poor state of the Congress in the state.

Replying to a question, he, however, said he was not in favour of making Mr Gandhi president of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, as a person like him should not be confined to any state, but should serve the party throughout the country by taking up responsibilities of a general secretary.

Mr Digvijay Singh has also welcomed Mr Gandhi's statement. He said increasing the mass base of the Congress in the state was a big challenge for the party, and if Mr Gandhi was ready to help in this task, it should be welcomed.

''This will give the right signal to youth and bring them in the party fold,'' said Mr Singh.

In the beginning of the year, the Congress Working Comittee was reorganised but five posts were left vacant, giving rise to speculations that one of them might be filled by Mr Gandhi later.

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