The Hindu : Front Page : Campaign for first phase ends

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Monday, Dec 10, 2007
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Campaign for first phase ends

Manas Dasgupta

SURAT: Electioneering for the first phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections drew to a close on Sunday evening with the Congress fielding AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi to campaign for the party in Surat. On December 11, 87 constituencies will go to the polls.

The All India Congress Committee general secretary , Mr. Gandhi, attracted a large number of youth at his four meeting venues, besides hundreds of people waiting on both sides of the road during his 40-kilometre odd journey through the main roads covering five Assembly segments. Mr. Gandhi, also in-charge of youth affairs, moved round the city for about four and a half hours ending his “road show” minutes before the campaigning closed at 5 p.m.

While his mother and the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, had already addressed about 10 election meetings in her four visits to the State in the last eight days, and the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, addressed two meetings in one trip, it was the first time that Mr. Gandhi was fielded for the Gujarat Assembly elections.

Congress sources said Mr. Gandhi’s “road show” in Surat was a last-minute decision of the party high command, particularly to woo the large number of “Hindi-speaking” migrant labourers in the diamond city.

Motorcade

After his arrival at the Surat airport, Mr. Gandhi, travelling in an open jeep leading a motorcade amidst very tight security, went round the city roads garlanding the statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on the way. The Congress leaders in the city said that the kind of response Mr. Gandhi received during his “road show” had helped improve the prospects of the party candidates for Tuesday’s polls.

Briefly addressing the gatherings, Mr. Gandhi attacked the BJP government in the State for “spreading lies” and “misleading” the people on various counts, particularly on the issue of development and attracting investments.

He said a government that believed in deceiving its people could not take the State forward in true sense. Giving examples, he said while the Narendra Modi government claimed Gujarat to be the number one State in attracting investments, the truth was that at least five other States, including Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh were ahead of it in investments.

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