It was a clash of the titans but it failed to ignite the heat that was expected during the day when the Prime Ministerial candidate of the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) Narendra Modi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi addressed political rallies in Patna and Delhi respectively.
In his speech, Gandhi did not make any reference to the controversy over his remarks on Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) being in touch with ceratin youths in riot-hit Muzaffarnagar district. At an election rally in Madhya Pradesh, he had claimed that an Intelligence officer had told him how Pakistani agencies, including the powerful ISI were in touch with the young Muslim boys whose families were seared by recent communal riots in Muzaffarnagar.
Congress vice-president chose to skip the contentious issue to avoid further political controversy.He also skirted his earlier emotional pitch that he had raised in Churu, Rajasthan about the sacrifices made by his grand mother and father. The Gandhi scion however chose to dwell upon development plank. He spoke on the flagship schemes of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). Hard-selling the development work carried out in Delhi and UPA’s Food Security Bill and Right to Information, Gandhi tried to reach out to migrant voters who constitute around one-third of the population here.
Heaping fulsome praise on the development works done by the Sheila Dikshit Government during her 15-year rule for bringing a turnaround in the national Capital, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, whose rally coincided with BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s in Patna, criticised the Opposition for ignoring development issues. “I have full confidence that the Congress will win again in Delhi,” Rahul Gandhi said as he batted for Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who is seeking a record fourth term in the coming Assembly poll on December 4. “No one can say there’s been no development in Delhi, not even the Opposition.”
“Sheila Dikshit has changed Delhi. A shining metro rail today plies in Delhi. People from other states are inviting DMRC to start metro rail there. Indonesia’s capital Jakarta has also invited Delhi Metro for a similar project in its capital, Jakarta. Earlier, there used to be a small airport. UPA government built a shining world class airport. Delhi government brought about revolutionary change in the transport system. Five new universities were set up and 50,000 seats were created (in them). Delhi was made an education hub,” Gandhi said.
Sticking to city issues, he said Delhi Metro’s model is being adopted even by foreign countries such as Indonesia and that the UPA government has given a “shining and world-class” airport to Delhiites. “Those who come from outside, we hold their hands and march ahead along with them,” Gandhi said reaching out to people who have settled in Delhi from other states, mainly Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakahnd.
Gandhi also expressed his confidence of the party’s victory in the Delhi Assembly elections. He also appealed to the women and youth in Delhi to lead the campaign for the Congress in the coming assembly polls.
Reaching out to migrants, who constitute approximately a third of the population of Delhi, Gandhi said the Congress government had been keenly hand-holding those who moved to the city from outside. Also, with regularisation of unauthorised colonies being a major poll plank for Congress in the national capital, Rahul referred to the authorisation of 45 colonies.
He said that although the NDA government had talked about infrastructure and roads, the UPA, during the time it had been in power, had built three times more roads than the BJP-led government. “But, at the same time, we do not want to forget you, the real strength of the country- the aam aadmi, the youth,” he said.
Seeking to define the ideal Congress worker, Gandhi said that when he had asked his mother, party President Sonia Gandhi, she had replied that he or she was one who helped the poor and the underprivileged and fought for them with love and without anger. Interacting with the crowd, Rahul spoke at length about rights-based legislation brought in by UPA including, like the RTI and the Food Security Acts.
“Opposition (parties) asked us from where the money will come for food security. We say, it is the right of the poor. We will find the money from anywhere... We want to empower you all. I want people from the last row to join Parliament and the Assemblies so that the most backward have their voice in Parliament.
This was Congress’ first election rally in the city and despite being organized in Mangolpuri, the stronghold of Congress; enthusiasm among crowd was visibly missing that was expected for such a rally while Congress leadership has left no stones unturned to make the rally a success. The venue Ramlila ground in Mangolpuri did attract people but the fizz was clearly missing. It was visible when people started to leave the venue despite Rahul Gandhi holding forte at the microphone.