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A day after much high drama in the capital when the UPA government kowtowed before Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi’s demand and trashed the Ordinance and the bill on convicted 'netas', the man at the centre of the action - Rahul Gandhi landed in BJP strongman Narendra Modi’s turf in Gujarat today.
Gandhi who was on a scheduled two day trip to the state in the run up to poll preparations for 2014, started off by visiting Mahatma Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram.
The Gandhi scion who caused the UPA government on Gandhi Jayanti to take a complete U turn on its decision to bring in a legislation to protect convicted from disqualification, today spent almost half-an-hour in the ashram, from where the Mahatma had spearheaded the non-violent freedom movement of the country.
Later Gandhi reportedly wrote in the visitor’s book, “It’s always an honour for me to come to the ashram. I am a follower of Gandhi and his ideas.”
Gandhi who has been repeatedly attacked by Narendra Modi, the BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate, is slated to interact with party office-bearers in Ahmedabad and Rajkot.
He is scheduled to address a meeting of National Council of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) - the students' wing of Congress and thereafter meet elected Panchayat members. In between he will also meet up not only with MPs and MLAs but block and district presidents of the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee.
Tomorrow in Rajkot, he will have an extended meeting of the state PCC.
This Gujarat visit assumes greater importance as it is the first since Gandhi baiter Narendra Modi, was appointed Prime Ministerial candidate. Although the Congress has not declared any Prime Ministerial candidate, it is going into the crucial 2014 polls under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi.
