Congress goes full throttle in Delhi; Rahul, Priyanka to campaign

The Congress is putting its might in the Lok Sabha election campaign in the national capital with party chief Rahul Gandhi scheduled to address three rallies here and party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra scheduled to hold two road shows.

While Gandhi's campaign began on Monday with his rally on Eid Gah Road in Chandani Chowk where the party has fielded former MP J.P. Agarwal, he is expected to address a rally in East Delhi in support of party nominee Arvinder Singh Lovely and in North West Delhi in support of Rajesh Lilothia.

Priyanka Gandhi will hold a road show in North East Delhi where former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit is in the fray. She is also expected to hold a road show in South Delhi where boxer Vijender Singh is contesting.

"Between the two top campaigners of the party, they would cover five of the seven constituencies in Delhi," a Congress leader said.

The presence of two top leaders signals party's intention to give its best shot in the parliamentary polls but also to revive the party ahead of assembly polls next year.

The Congress was willing to give four of the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi to AAP when alliance talks were being held between the two parties but after these failed, it put up strong candidates on all seven seats.

The party is also boosting its campaign with other star campaigners.

Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu is slated to campaign for Congress candidate from West Delhi Mahabal Mishra on May 8. Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat will also campaign in the constituency on that day.

The assessment of party is that if it is able to perform well in Delhi, not only will it help it check the BJP which had won all the seven seats in Delhi in 2014 but will also tremendously boost party's prospects in the assembly polls.

Priyanka Gandhi's road show in the national capital will be held the same day Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address an election rally in Delhi.

The elections in the national capital will take place on May 12 in the sixth phase.

--IANS

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