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Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi made his first appearance on Tuesday in the ongoing Delhi legislative assembly election campaign, drawing a substantial crowd.
After three stints in government, the Congress was reduced to eight of 70 seats in 2013.
He accused the Narendra Modi-led government of doing little else but “personal PR” and of "favouring three to four industrialists".
“People are asking when will all the PR and talk stop and work begin (Baatein kab kam hogi, aur kaam kab shuru hoga)?" he declared. Touring the southern locality of Kalkaji in an open truck, with city Congress leaders, he said the Congress was distinct from the Bharatiya Janata Party, which ignored the poor. "The Congress will return to power because it is the only party that stands for the poor.” He also highlighted the party poll promises of cheaper water and electricity, making contract labourers permanent and providing shelter for all.
The area had in the 2013 poll elected an Akali Dal nominee, who'd contested on a BJP ticket.
Modi, said Gandhi, was only profiting a few industrialists. He said the Congress was the only party whose main aim was that every person should be represented in Delhi, from the poor to the rich. And, a party which would promise a right to shelter for all.
Gandhi was accompanied by Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee chief Arvinder Singh Lovely, former MP Ramesh Kumar, Kalkaji candidate Subhash Chopra and nominees of a few other constituencies like Sharmistha Mukherjee.
He was also dismissive about the Aam Aadmi Party, whose earlier 49-day rule he ridiculed as of no consequence.
