Rahul Gandhi again on two-day hectic campaigning in Gujarat

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi will once again be in Gujarat, landing in the state on the eve of the first-phase polls, to campaign in north and central Gujarat regions for the second phase of the state Assembly elections.

Gandhi, who had to cancel his previous campaign visit after visiting just one place in Anjar in Kutch due to bad weather and the 'Ockhi' cyclone alert, will be addressing more public meetings than scheduled during his two-day visit.

On Friday, the Gandhi scion will be visiting Chota Udaipur, Ahmedabad, Kheda and Anand districts, regions of the second phase of the elections. And on the following day, he will visit Patan, Banaskantha and Mehsana districts.

Rahul Gandhi will be addressing a public meeting at APMC ground in Pavi Jetpur in Chhota Udepur district on Friday noon. Continuing with his temple visits, which the ruling BJP party has been scoffing at, Gandhi will go to the Mogal Dham Mandir in Ranesar in Ahmedabad district. Later in the afternoon, he will address a public gathering at the ground opposite Super Gas in Ranesar.

In the early evening hours, Gandhi will hold a corner meeting in Anand district's Tarapur and later another corner meeting at Kheda district's Limbasi near the Rice Mill.

In Anand district, Gandhi will be welcomed by local Congress leaders in Mangrol and Sojitra Chokdi regions, after which he will address a public gathering at Vyayamshala Ground, Loteshwar Bhagol in Anand. His night stay will be in Vadodara.

On Saturday, the day of polling for the first phase, Gandhi will be in Patan, Banaskantha and Mehsana districts, the region said to be the Patidar bastion.

He will arrive in Patan district's Chanasma by chopper from Vadodara and hold a public a meeting at Harij around at noon. He will reach Banaskantha district's Vadgam by chopper and address a public meeting in Chappi in the afternoon. Dalit leader Jignesh Mewani is contesting as an independent from Vadgam constituency.

From Vadgam, Gandhi will fly by chopper to Vadnagar, the home town of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and address a public meeting in at around 4 in the evening. The place falls in the Unjha Assembly seat of Mehsana district. From Modi's hometown, Gandhi will take a Yatra Bus to Vijapur, another place in Mehsana district, the region believed to be a Patidar fortress.

At 6 p.m., Gandhi will address a large gathering in Vijapur on the Ladol road in Mehsana. The Mehsana Assembly constituency seat is held by the Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat, Nitin Patel.

--IANS

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