Jaipur, Jun 15 (IANS): After Om Prakash Pahadia, son of former Chief Minister Jagannath Pahadia, joined the BJP, the Congress has started contacting the families of veterans.

Congress in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa met the wife of Jagannath Pahadia's younger son and other prominent leaders' families in the Congress War Room on Wednesday.

As the party feels that such episodes can affect the perception in the election year, Randhawa began contacting the heirs of all the old Congress families and asked them to actively join the party. Randhawa will now continue meeting the old Congress families.

He also had an elaborate discussion with former Chief Minister Shivcharan Mathur's daughter Vandana Mathur and his granddaughter Vibha Mathur and other family members in the Congress war room. Vibha Mathur is a Sachin Pilot supporter and has been the head of the Congress social media wing during his tenure as the state president. Randhawa also met Abha Pahadia, daughter-in-law of former CM Jagannath Pahadia and wife of late Congress leader Sanjay Pahadia.

In the war room, Randhawa also held one-to-one discussions with the heirs of three former Congress state presidents about party matters. Randhawa met with Dr. Raghu Vyas, son of former Congress state president Girdhari Lal Vyas, Rupesh Kant Vyas, grandson of former state president Ram Kishore Vyas and Anil Chaudhary, grandson of former state president Sardar Harlal Singh, to strengthen the Congress organisation at the grassroots level and also collected feedback from them.

Most of the leaders from old Congress families whom Randhawa met are contenders for tickets. Former CM Shivcharan Mathur's daughter Vandana Mathur and granddaughter Vibha Mathur are contenders for the tickets.

Randhawa is further insisting on meeting the family members of the leaders who once held big positions in the state Congress and was trying to re-activate them.