In view of upcoming lok Sabha polls, All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Rahul Gandhi will visit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home State Gujarat twice in span of one week on July 11 and 15.
The Congress president will focus on Saurashtra region where out of 58 assembly seats his party won 21. Rahul would visit districts of Junagadh, Rajkot and Bhavnagar in the region. It was in Saurashtra that Congress was able to make a comeback after a gap of over two-and-a-half decades by winning majority of the seats in the region.
During 2017 Assembly polls, Rahul had extensively toured the State before 2017 Assembly elections, is believed to have contributed towards better show by his party, raising its tally of seats in 182-seat Gujarat Assembly from 54 in 2012 to 77 in 2017.
Beginning Gujarat campaign of 2017, he was seen to have adopted a more aggressive style of hitting out at ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its leadership.
Congress had successfully en-cash the angst amongst farming community of Saurashtra in Assembly elections. Rahul is again expected meet up and interact with farmers, other than social workers and Congressmen during his visit. The sources within the party state that he may make at least 3-4 such visits till December and re-establish his connect with people here.
Sources in Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) said that Rahul would also review reorganisation process of Gujarat Congress. last week GPCC had announced 12 new city and district presidents keeping caste and community equations in mind that too ignoring senior established leaders. If sources in the oldest political party have to be believed, Rahul had clearly indicated state leadership to pump-in fresh blood in the party.
Already young OBC leader Alpesh Thakor is in Congress fold and pro-quota Patidar leader Hardik Patel is openly supporting the party. Moreover Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani too is doing work indirectly for Congress by cornering ruling BJP.