To counter Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Mumbai, the Congress’ city unit had asked the party chief Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to hold rallies in the city. But just days before polling in Mumbai, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have expressed their inability to address rallies or participate in road shows due to time and logistical issues.
According to DNA, Congress’ city unit tried its best for Congress president’s road show on April 25 in five seats contested by its nominees and one by its ally Nationalist Congress Party. The Mumbai Congress had also made all its efforts to organise at least one public meeting by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in a bid to lure the party’s traditional voters and the first time voters in particular.
“The party president had addressed a well-attended rally in Bandra Kurla Complex on March 1. The MRCC was quite keen to organise a road show or rally to be addressed by Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The police authorities also cited traffic issues. Besides, both the party president and general secretary preferred to skip Mumbai due to paucity of time,” Mumbai Regional Congress Committee general secretary told DNA.
The Congress has fielded Milind Deora from Mumbai South against Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant, former MP Eknath Gaikwad against Shiv Sena nominee Rahul Shewale in south-central Mumbai, former city unit chief Sanjay Nirupam against Shiv Sena MP Gajanan Kirtikar in north-west Mumbai, former MP Priya Dutt against BJP MP Poonam Mahajan in north-central Mumbai and Bollywood actress Urmila Matondkar against BJP MP Gopal Shetty in north Mumbai. NCP has fielded former MP Sanjay Patil against BJP nominee Manoj Kotak in north-east Mumbai.