Chandigarh: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on November 23 impressed upon the party members the need to strengthen the party while "unitedly and truthfully" working for the welfare of people.

"If the organisation becomes weak, then the government cannot continue for long. At all times we should try to make party strong from bottom to top in order to face forthcoming challenges," she said addressing party workers in Chandigarh.

Expressing her concern over the welfare of the poor, Gandhi said, "We are concerned about the poor, backwards and women, our efforts should be to work upto the expectations of the people."

She described the party as a "family" and said, "we should all have faith in the party which is a family for all".

Good faith - "sadbhavna" - within the organisation can only take the "family" ahead with the result that the institution also gets "strengthened", she said.

Indirectly referring to "dissidence", if any, within the party, the Congress president said, members should not indulge in the game of one-upmanship.

"The youth should learn from seniors and the latter should give them a chance to come forward," she said in her 10-minute address.

Gandhi said, "at times after winning the polls, everything revolves around the government as party workers also look to the government with the result that organisation gets neglected."

PTI