Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is visiting Gujarat on Monday, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the election-bound state and inaugurated a slew of development projects.
“Gujarat is priceless. It has never been bought. It can never be bought. It will never be bought,” Gandhi posted on Twitter. The Congress leader was apparently referring to the allegations of a leader of the influential Patidar community who claimed the ruling BJP offered him Rs 1 crore to join the party.
The Congress asked the Election Commission to announce the Gujarat election dates as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Patidar leader Hardik Patel said he won’t be able to meet Gandhi on Monday.
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1pm: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi arrives in Ahmedabad, to take part in OBC Navsarjan Janadesh Mahasammelan.
12:35pm: The Samajwadi Party will fight five seats in Gujarat, says Akhilesh Yadav, adding his party will support the Congress on the rest.
12:30pm: Gujarat Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki says meeting between Rahul Gandhi, Patidar leader Hardik Patel and Dalit leader Jignesh Mewani has been postponed. The meeting might happen when Gandhi visits Gujarat again (November 1-3)
#Gujarat: Visuals of preparation from Ahmedabad where Congress VP Rahul Gandhi will take part in OBC 'Navsarjan Janadesh Mahasammelan' today pic.twitter.com/LnWlmld0eL
— ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2017
12:24pm: Congress’s Manish Tewari says the election commission should soon announce election dates for Gujarat and impose model code of conduct. The party took on the BJP over the bribery allegations.
9:30am: Nikhil Sawani, a Patidar leader who had joined BJP, said he will quit the party after the bribery scandal. He says he will seek Rahul Gandhi’s appointment to put forward his viewpoint.
Patidar leader Narendra Patel spoke to the press within hours of “joining” the BJP on Sunday and said he “will not be bought over” in the face of BJP’s “Rs 1-crore deal”.
The Patidar community, once a staunch supporter, is at war with the BJP over its demand for reservation in education and government jobs.
Congress game plan
The Congress had invited Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani to meet Gandhi during his visit to Ahmedabad on Monday. But Patel leader said he will not be able to meet Gandhi due to a busy schedule.
Gandhi will take part in ‘Navsarjan Gujarat Janadesh’ rally organised by his party in Gandhinagar, where OBC leader Alpesh Thakor will join the Congress .
Congress’s invite to Hardik Patel and Mevani came against the backdrop of its state unit president Bharatsinh Solanki extended open invitation to Patel, Mevani and Thakor to join the party to ensure the ruling BJP’s defeat.
The BJP is not only facing angry Patidars but also anti-incumbency. The Dalits and Muslims, too, are upset over violence by cow vigilantes and upper castes.
Thakor, the leader of OBC Ekta Manch, will join the Congress with his associates at the rally, Solanki said.
Thakor had met Gandhi in Delhi recently and later announced that he would soon join the party.
Gandhi is also likely to meet Chotu Vasava, the leader of Janata Dal (U) in Gujarat, during his one-day visit.
The election is a matter of prestige for the BJP, ruling the state for almost 22 successive years, as both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah come from the western state.
HT
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