Rahul Gandhi to embark on Gujarat campaign from today

New Delhi: After Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi hitting the campaign trail in Gujarat, Rahul Gandhi will be addressing rallies in the Narendra Modi-run state for the first time from Tuesday, the last day of canvassing for the first phase of polls.

The Congress leader will address meetings at Sanand in Ahmedabad in central Gujarat and at Jamnagar and Amreli in Saurashtra regions. Sonia and the prime minister have already campaigned in the state where the party is out of power for two decades.

Rahul, who has been the "number two" in the Congress, will soon take up an important responsibility in the party and the AICC has declared that he will lead UPA's campaign in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The assembly elections in Gujarat are crucial for the party, where it is expecting to better its performance.

Rahul will address meetings at Sanand in Ahmedabad in central Gujarat and at Jamnagar and Amreli in Saurashtra regions.

Congress has assiduously made an attempt to prevent polarisation of election campaign on communal lines and hence refrained from touching on the issue of post-Godhra riots this time, which it had used to the hilt in last assembly elections. Senior Congress leaders have been targeting Modi's development claims instead this time.

Addressing a rally in Siddhpur today, Sonia also dubbed the Modi government as "anti-people" alleging that the BJP-led dispensation in Gujarat is indulging in "wrong-doings". Attacking the development plank of Modi government, she said one should ask why more than four and half lakh farmers were not getting power connection despite the Centre providing electricity. Polls in Gujarat will be held on December 13 and 17.

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