All India Congress Committee (AICC) vice-president Rahul Gandhi will visit flood-affected north Gujarat region on Friday.
The scion of Gandhi-Nehru family is expected to visit Banaskantha and Patan districts, the worst-affected regions in the recent floods in the State, which has been stated to be the worst in last 70 years.
Due to heavy rain last month in the region as well as in upstream Rajasthan over 270 people are reported to have lost their lives, with 4.5 lakh people directly affected by floods. Banaskantha saw deaths of 61 people, while Patan recorded deaths of seven people due to heavy rains and flood water due to rains in upstream Rajasthan.
“Though the programme has not been finalised but Rahulji is likely to visit on August 4,” said Gujarat Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki adding that Gandhi will visit Banaskantha and Patan district and meet people there and take stock of the situation.
As many as six Congress legislators from the flood affected areas of North Gujarat are away from their constituencies at a luxurious resort in Bengaluru. Over this issue the Opposition party is in back foot and facing lots of criticism from media as well as ruling BJP as in this situation they should be with the flood affected peole.
The Congress has moved 44 of its legislators to Bengaluru to avoid any further poaching of its members, after six of its 57 legislators resigned from Assembly. Of the remaining 51, seven are considered to be close to rebel senior leader Shankarsinh Vaghela. The Congress, that has fielded Ahmed Patel, the political secretary to party president Sonia Gandhi in the fray, does not appear to be in any mood to lose more legislators before crucial Rajya Sabha elections on August 8. Especially, when he is pitted against BJP president Amit Shah, Union Minister Smriti Irani and Congress turncoat Balwantsinh Rajput.
Though Congress had set up a control room to coordinate relief work in the flood affected region and with Ahmed Patel, Bharatsinh Solanki and party in-charge for Gujarat Ashok Gehlot making a visit to North Gujarat recently, the visit by Rahul Gandhi is seen to be party’s one more move to help moderate the negative fallout of criticism against the party.