PATNA, Feb. 18 -- A day after the Congress party reviewed the progress of its Sangathan Srijan programme - an ambitious drive to strengthen the organisation from the booth to the state level - a section of senior leaders and social workers, including the national vice-president of Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM), a constituent of the ruling NDA, joined the Congress on Tuesday. The development is being seen as a shot in the arm for the Bihar Congress, which is pushing ahead with the Sangathan Srijan campaign despite a concerted anti-campaign by some disgruntled leaders, including former party spokesman and AICC member Anand Madhab. At a well-attended membership ceremony held at Sadaqat Ashram, the party headquarters in Patna, RLM national vice-president Jitendra Nath Thakur, along with his son Rahul Kumar (state spokesperson of RLM), advocate and social activist Neelam Parveen (a former RJD leader), and hundreds of their supporters formally took Congress membership in the presence of Bihar Congress in-charge Krishna Allavaru and state president Rajesh Ram. Several other leaders from different parties also switched sides on the occasion. Among them were Shekhpura district president of RLM Pappu Raj Mandal, state general secretary Rajesh Ranjan Singh, Pramod Yadav, Bipin Chaurasia, state vice-president Mahendra Kushwaha, state secretary Gore Lal Kushwaha, Asfar Khan, besides Subhash Singh, Ameer Mahto, Prem Kumar Gupta and Ramprasad Das. Former LJP leader Amarjeet Paswan and RJD leaders Shagufta Parveen, Dilip Chaudhary and Pinky Paswan were also among those who joined. Speaking after administering the membership, Congress in-charge Krishna Allavaru launched a sharp attack on the Centre, accusing "hidden Jaichands" of handing over national data and assets to American interests. "From IT to agriculture, everything is being surrendered, hollowing out the country," he charged, adding that the controversial allocation of thousands of acres of land to the Adani group in Bihar for Rs.1 was anti-poor and anti-backward. He said the joining of new leaders would further strengthen the party's fight for social justice. State president Rajesh Ram accused the NDA government in Bihar of pushing women deeper into debt through loans while remaining silent on the harassment caused by micro-finance companies. He also raised the ongoing NEET controversy, questioning how justice could be expected when the ruling alliance's own police were allegedly threatening the victim's family. "Congress gave MGNREGA for self-reliance; this government closed it and boasts of giving five kilos of free ration," he said. The new entrants were effusive in their praise for the Congress leadership. Jitendra Nath Thakur described Rahul Gandhi as the only leader firmly fighting the current regime for the country's welfare and pledged to discharge any responsibility assigned to him. Rahul Kumar criticised NDA policies on youth employment and said he felt proud to join the Congress. Neelam Parveen vowed to intensify the struggle for women's rights and security, which she claimed had collapsed under the NDA regime. The membership drive comes immediately after a key meeting of district observers on Monday, where the roadmap for the Sangathan Srijan programme was discussed in detail. Presided over by Krishna Allavaru and Rajesh Ram, the session included training by central war room chairman and MP Sashikanth Senthil and national secretary Vamshi Chand Reddy. Leaders stressed that the exercise would ensure proper representation to all social sections, honour grassroots workers and rebuild the organisation block by block. Despite attempts by some disgruntled elements to undermine the campaign, party leaders expressed confidence that the ongoing organisational overhaul would energise the Congress ahead of future electoral battles in the state. The ceremony was conducted by state spokesperson Dr Snehashish Vardhan Pandey, while media and publicity department chairman Rajesh Rathore issued the official release....