Cong’s campaign to get much-needed push with Rahul’s KP rally on April 4

Nagpur: The Congress party’s markedly low-spirited campaign is expected to get a fillip with party president Rahul Gandhi’s public rally at Kasturchand Park on April 4 at 5.30pm.
He will reach the city at around 5pm from Wayanad in Kerala after filing his nomination papers and head to Pune. He will be in Vidarbha for another rally on April 5.

Meanwhile, in his first campaign meeting in the city for the Lok Sabha elections, former chief minister and Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Ashok Chavan launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “You all have suffered so much in the last five years and now have the opportunity to have a change. The Congress will play an important role in giving you a better alternative,” said Chavan.

He was canvassing for votes for Congress candidate Nana Patole who is taking on BJP heavyweight and Union minister Naitin Gadkari. With only eight days left for the public campaigning to end a day before April 11 polling day, Chavan and senior party leaders Arif Naseem Khan, Chandrakant Handore and city’s ex-MP Vilas Muttemwar attempted to shift gears of the party’s campaign.

Chavan addressed three small election meetings, one in Nagpur rural for Ramtek candidate Kishor Gajbhiye and two in the city. For the poll meeting at Kumbhartoli’s Sashtri Square, around a thousand people waited for almost two hours as it started much behind schedule. After that meet, Chavan addressed one at Bhaldarpura.

“The Modi government has worked from Day 1 only for the benefit of his rich friends (Mukesh) Ambani and (Gautam) Adani,” he said, adding that at the same time, the government made a mockery of the poor through a plethora of unfulfilled promises.

“Where are the Rs15 lakh Modi promised for each of you and the ten crore jobs that he promised?” asked Chavan. “Time has come to throw Modi out to save the country. Not all ‘chowkidars’ (watchmen) are bad but ‘desh ka chowkidar’ is certainly a ‘thief’,” he said taunting Modi.

Naseem khan pointed out that cooking gas cylinder available during the UPA government for Rs35 was now costing over Rs700. “There have been false promises and claims about controlling price rise. Modi said he will bring back black money from abroad but ended up generating more within the country through corrupt deals,” he said.

Muttemwar, in his speech, said where were the boats that Gadkari had promised would sail on a copiously flowing Nag river.