With Assembly polls in five States, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi has come in line of fire within and outside the party for flying abroad just when the
high stakes Uttar Pradesh and Punjab polls are due early
next year.
A senior party leader rued the fact that recently ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament too Rahul had travelled abroad for almost a month and had returned a day before the commencement of the Session.
“Rahul Gandhi is on a brief personal visit. BJP and its media friends should not spread rumours unnecessarily,” Congress chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala said.
The party has not disclosed the place of visit and the date of his return. Rahul’s visit abroad comes at a time when political parties are pacing up their campaigning for the upcoming polls in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, which are due next year.
He is also scheduled to address a party rally in Moga district of Punjab on January 3 to kick start campaigning in the State, where the party is already in power.
AICC sources said the Moga rally could be postponed. “With a delay in campaigning, it could seemingly impact the party’s vote bank in the state and bring down chances of the party retaining power. We are really worried as BJP a which has tied up with former Congress stalwart and a two time Chief Minister Amarinder Singh are also planning to kick start their campaign at the same time with Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled to hold a rally on January 5,” mentioned the sources.
This will be the first rally of Prime Minister Modi in Punjab after the repeal of three farm laws. While the Congress rally in Punjab will not begin till Rahul’s return to the country.
The former party chief had recently campaigned for the party in Goa and Uttarakhand.
In the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls, Congress won an absolute majority in the state by winning 77 seats and ousted the SAD-BJP government after 10 years. Aam Aadmi Party emerged as the second-largest party winning 20 seats in 117 member Punjab Legislative Assembly.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) could only manage to win 15 seats while the BJP secured 3 seats.
