The Indian National Congress has asked its state units to appoint a person to interact with NRI supporters who are keen to help the party in the upcoming 2019 election campaign. The new appointment carries the title of ‘NRI coordinator’, who would help Indian residents in foreign countries execute their ideas on the poll campaign.
In a March 20 circular to all Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chiefs, party general secretary in-charge of organisation KC Venugopal asked them to appoint a coordinator in their respective states to interface with NRIs.
Many overseas Indians, especially those based in Singapore and Middle East have expressed their desire to help the Congress in resource mobilisation and campaign management in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, according to Venugopal.
“Some want to come and work in India to help the Congress candidates at local levels while others want to help on social media to reach out to their family and friends back home to vote for the Congress,” he wrote.
According to AICC, a large number of NRIs from ‘Indian Overseas Congress’ spread across middle-east, Europe, Asia, Africa and America want to help the party in the 2019 election campaign.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi has been travelling across the world and interacting with the NRI community in the past few years. He created a separate department, Indian Overseas Congress, in 2017 to reach out to NRIs.
Last week, the Indian Overseas Congress had organised car rallies across the UK to garner support from the Indian diaspora.
The Indian Overseas Congress, headed by Sam Pitroda, has steadily built a strong presence in countries like the USA, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia and many others.