JAIPUR: In poll-bound Rajasthan, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi is walking the extra mile and taking on Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje to ensure victory of his party. Rahul will holding ‘Sankalp’ rallies across the northern state. These rallies are being seen as a bid to counter Raje’s ‘Gaurav Yatra’, which will be entering its second phase at Jodhpur — the bastion of senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot. On the other hand, Raje’s Yatra is all set to restart again from August 24.
With the state Congress caught in in-fighting between Gehlot and Sachin Pilot, the Sankalp rallies may just work as a unifying force for the Grand Old Party.The success of Rahul’s road show in Jaipur last week has prompted the party to plan rallies all over Rajasthan. A total of 21 rallies will be held in the next few months. “Rallies will be held in all seven divisions of Rajasthan. All senior leaders, including AICC general secretary Ashok Gehlot, Party in-charge Avinash Pandey and Congress leader CP Joshi will be present,” informed Congress state president Sachin Pilot.
Till now, the Congress used to organise only meetings at a fixed place. But with three states heading for elections this year, the party has changed its strategy. The first Sankalp rally will be in Chittorgarh, where the target is to gather as much as 1 lakh people. After this, rallies are planned in Churu, Barmer, Karauli and Nagaur districts. The Congress has a strong base in these districts, and it would like to further consolidate the support. The series of high-profile rallies will end in September.