'PM like Rahul' chants greets Cong VP on Modi turf

Gandhi visit would boost morale of party workers ahead of 2014 general election

Chants of "county's prime minister should be like Rahul Gandhi" greeted the Congress vice president on Narendra Modi's turf on Thursday as he began his two-day visit to Gujarat after paying obeisance to the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi at Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad.

The slogan shouting was mainly by Congress workers who hope to see Gandhi as next PM candidate.

On Wednesday UPA decided to withdraw the proposed ordinance that would have allowed convicted MPs and MLAs to contest elections. Gandhi, the son of Congress party president Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, had called the ordinance "complete nonsense" after it was sent to President Pranab Mukherjee for approval.

Gandhi who was accompanied by a battery of Gujarat Congress leaders including two union minister, arrived directly from the airport and spent nearly half an hour at the ashram from where Gandhiji began his freedom struggle. This is his first visit after Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi was anointed as prime ministerial candidate by the BJP.

Congress sources said, that Gandhi visit would boost the morale of party workers ahead of the 2014 general election. The Congress party in 2009 Lok Sabha elections had won 11 seats out of the 26 in the state. However, it lost two seats during the by-elections early this year and now their tally stands at 9 against ruling BJP's 17.

On arrival Gandhi was greeted by slogans of "Desh ka PM kaisa ho. Rahul Gandhi jesa ho" (county's PM should be like Rahul Gandhi) by a crowd of Congress workers. Gandhi paid obeisance to Gandhiji and walked through his house know as Hriday Kunj. He also greeted veteran Gandhian Chunibhai Vaidya and the ashram staff.

The Congress vice president then took a impromptu turn towards the exhibition area in the ashram where life of Mahatma Gandhi is displayed through photographs, letters and his testimonies. This left the Congress leaders accompanying Gandhi in a tizzy as they were caught off guard. Gandhi spent nearly 15 minutes at the exhibition where he showed keen interest in the a chart named 'Wheel of Life' prepared by Vinobha Bhave to elucidate principles of Gandhian satyagraha.

"It is always an honour for me to come to the ashram. I am a follower of Gandhiji and his ideas. Thank you," wrote the scion of Gandhi family in the visitor's book after spending considerable time at the exhibition area of the ashram.

Senior Gujarat leaders accompanying Gandhi included union ministers Bharatsinh Solanki, Tushar Chowdhary, Congress MP Prabha Taviad, Gujarat Congress president Arjun Modhvadia, leader of the opposition Shankarsinh Vaghela, former state party president Siddharth Patel and former leader of opposition Shaktisinh Gohil.

Gandhi later held meetings with party workers and MPs and MLAs from the state.