Srinagar, Nov 7 (IANS)

 Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Thursday said party workers will be taken on board when selecting candidates for the forthcoming elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing party leaders and workers at the Congress headquarters in Srinagar, Rahul Gandhi said, "From workers you become MLAs (legislators) and ministers, but you do not become workers from MLAs and ministers."

"Workers will be consulted and taken on board while deciding tickets for the elections in the state," he said.

"He who goes to the workers and the people would only be given tickets for the elections in the future," Gandhi made clear.

He advised the party legislators and ministers to address problems of the people and the party workers.

"If you listen to the problems of the workers, you would be benefited," Rahul Gandhi told the assembled party leaders.

He stressed, "If you do not respect party workers, you cannot respect people".

The Congress vice president said the party has become stronger in the region and its rank and file must work to further strengthen it at village, block and district levels.

"For strengthening the party, I am prepared to go to any part of the Jammu, Kashmir and the Ladakh region," he said.

"We have to ensure that more people join the party so that it gets strengthened," Gandhi added.

A large number of the Congress workers gathered at the Maulana Azad road headquarters of the state party unit in Srinagar to receive Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress vice president concluded his two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir Thursday.