Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday urged his party workers to stay together and ensure Congress victory in polls so that Manmohan Singh again becomes the prime minister of the country.

Rahul’s unscheduled visit is considered as an effort to inject energy in city unit of the Congress and boost the morale of sitting MP Suresh Kalmadi.

“The polling dates for Lok Sabha elections were announced yesterday. We should work together and win the election so that our leader Manmohan Singh is re-elected as Prime Minister of the country,” Rahul told the party workers and office-bearers at a meeting at the Congress Bhavan.

“In the next one month, the party workers have to go back to the public to tell them the work carried out by the Congress party in the government along with the plans we have for the future,” he said.

Rahul said his visit to Pune was scheduled in advance as he wanted to study the sugar industry and he merely happened to be in the city on the day after the polling dates were announced.

“I will be touring the state for the election campaign and try to make it to Pune again,” Rahul said when the party workers urged him to visit the city in the coming days.

The Congress Bhavan wore a different look today compared to that seen two days ago during the interview of probable candidates for the Pune Lok Sabha seat. Supporters of city Congress MP Suresh Kalmadi turned up in large numbers for the meeting.

Later, a cheerful Kalmadi said the party’s election campaign has got a good start with Gandhi visiting the party office a day after the polls were announced. When asked about whether he would gain from the visit of Gandhi, he said the party candidate for the polls would benefit from it.

“I have been working for the last five years and not only during elections,” Kalmadi said when pointed out that his campaign began before the announcement of party ticket. He also said that he fell into the category of young politicians.