Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who was taking part in BJP’s Gujarat political carpet-bombing, on Saturday took a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his election “habit". Gandhi, who is leading the party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, has so far not campaigned in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. Himachal Pradesh has already voted in the first phase (November 12), while Gujarat is scheduled to vote on December 1 and 5 in two phases.
“Rahul Gandhi has a habit that I have been observing for days. If there is a cricket match in Guwahati, he will be in Gujarat. He will carry a bat and pad to Gujarat too, he will keep getting ready but won’t come to the field," said Sarma over Gandhi not coming to poll-bound Gujarat.
Rahul Gandhi has a habit that I've been observing for days. If there's a cricket match in Guwahati, he'll be in Guj. He'll carry a bat & pad in Guj too, he'll keep getting ready but won't come to the field: Assam CM on Rahul Gandhi not coming to Gujarat for #GujaratElections2022 pic.twitter.com/I5CmkWBPsJ— ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2022
Commenting on Gandhi’s Sarvarkar remarks, Sarma said the Congress leader has “very less historical knowledge". “Maybe someone read out history for him and he didn’t read it on his own. He committed a grave sin by insulting Savarkar. I think he’ll have to pay for it politically," he said.
Ahead of the Gujarat assembly elections, the ruling BJP is now at the peak of its campaigning and Sarma, one of the party’s star campaigners has so far addressed three rallies in the state — including the industrial town of Surat.
While he urged party workers to ensure a massive victory for the party he also put forward to them three very simple but achievable targets. Elaborating on the same Sarma told news agency ANI, “We need to ensure that there is a win for BJP in Gujarat and that too a massive one because Gujarat has always led the way for the country."
Rahul Gandhi to Campaign in Gujarat on Nov 21
Gandhi will campaign for the party in the Gujarat assembly polls on November 21 when he is scheduled to address a rally each in Rajkot and Surat, the party said on Saturday.
“Rahul Gandhi will address two poll rallies in Surat and Rajkot on November 21, when the Bharat Jodo Yatra will have a rest day," AICC general secretary KC Venugopal told news agency PTI. The Yatra is currently in Maharashtra and is set to enter Madhya Pradesh in the next few days.
Sources said the Yatra will have rest days on November 21 and 22, and Gandhi will take out time to campaign in Gujarat on November 21.
The Congress is seeking to oust the BJP from power in Gujarat, where it has been in rule for the last 27 years in a row. The Congress had given a good challenge to the BJP in the last assembly elections in Gujarat in 2017, when the Congress won 77 seats and the BJP 99.
The Congress had secured 41.44 percent votes while the BJP bagged 49.05 percent in the 2017 polls.
The entry of the AAP in the poll this time is likely to change the equations from the straight contest between the BJP and the Congress.
(with inputs from PTI)
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