Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday launched an army recruitment drive here and said no “favouritism” should be shown while recruiting soldiers.

Mr Gandhi, who came here early on Tuesday morning amid a cheering crowd of more than 5,000 army aspirants, spent over an hour inspecting the recruitment process and enquiring about the drive, which would continue till the first week of August.

The drive is being held here after almost two decades.

Asking a bunch of rejected aspirants to be persistent in their efforts and not to be bogged down by defeats, he said “you should not be dissappointed by the rejection. Trying without losing heart would ensure success”. “The young MP’s visit was a major morale booster for all of us, including the aspirants,” Col Raj Kumar, head of the recruitment drive, said.

The army office is also understood to have shared their concern of touts who lure aspirants by taking names of big-time politicians.

“It was made clear by the Congress leader that no favouritism should be entertained during the drive and men resorting to such tactics should be caught and exposed,” a source said.

Mr Gandhi, who was here on the second day of his tour of constituencies of Amethi and Rae Bareli represented by his mother and Congress President Sonia Gandhi, also held meetings at Gauriganj.

He is slated to reach Delhi on Wednesday for the presidential oath-taking ceremony. After this, he would resume his tour on Thursday.