NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday asserted that the party’s Kerala leaders “stand as one” and were “united” by the light of purpose ahead.

His assertion came after the Congress’ top brass met Kerala leaders at ‘Indira Bhawan’ here for a brainstorming session on Friday to discuss the strategy and the way forward ahead of next year’s assembly elections.

Posting a picture from the media byte by Kerala leaders after the meeting, Gandhi said in a Facebook post, “They stand as one, united by the light of purpose ahead.” His post was accompanied by the hashtag ‘Team Kerala’.

The nearly-three-hour meeting at the Congress’s Indira Bhawan headquarters here had discipline, unity and strengthening of the state organisation as its running theme.

At the meeting, Gandhi said leaders should be very careful about the political strategy and should not do or say anything that does not toe the party line, according to sources.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had laid stress on discipline, ensuring unity and filling up the vacant posts to strengthen the party’s Kerala unit.

Besides Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Kerala Congress chief K Sudhakaran, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader in the Kerala Assembly VD Satheesan, Thiruvananthapuram MP Tharoor and AICC in-charge of Kerala Deepa Dasmunshi, among others, were present at the meeting.

“We got a clear indication from our high command that the Congress is very much connected with the people of Kerala emotionally and politically. People are looking for a change, so we should not do anything that will disrespect the people of Kerala,” Dasmunshi told reporters after the meeting.

“This was a clear indication and if anyone (says) anything personally, we will take strong action. Because we have no right to disrespect the people of Kerala,” she added.