Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday called upon the party's newly elected representatives of the urban local bodies and cadres, as well, to connect with the masses and build a strong foundation for the party in Tamil Nadu where he sees a huge opportunity for growth.
Though the party is in alliance with the ruling DMK here, being strong on its own would only strengthen the alliance partner, he claimed.
On a visit to Sathyamoorthy Bhavan, the party state headquarters here, to congratulate the newly-elected Congress representatives of the urban local bodies, the MP said: "Tamil Nadu is a very important state for the Congress. The third tier is the most important tier of governance because it is closest to the people.
"You have heard my speech in the Parliament that India is a Union of states and how it's important that all states have a voice in the Union. In the same way, it's very important that the Congress party is strong in Tamil Nadu, he said.
To ensure this, the party members should not compromise on Congress' ideology, he said.
"I see a huge opportunity in the state for the Congress... we are partners with the DMK. We have to do everything to strengthen the alliance. And the best way to strengthen the alliance is to strengthen ourselves organisationally and at the grassroot level," Gandhi said and urged the members to build a strong foundation slowly and steadily.
"I feel that a huge part of the Congress party foundation in Tamil Nadu would be built by women who will defend the rights of Tamil women," Gandhi said.
It was a honour and pleasure for him to talk to the newly-elected representatives, the Congress leader said, adding that he was looking forward to working with them in building a strong party.
