Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi will address an election campaign meeting on Saturday (April 18) evening at Thuraiyur in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruchirappalli district.
The public meeting is scheduled to begin around 4 pm at a private venue in Thuraiyur.
Rahul Gandhi is expected to arrive at Tiruchirappalli International Airport from Chennai and then travel by helicopter to Thuraiyur. He will land at a helipad set up at the Zamindar Higher Secondary School before proceeding by road to the venue.
At the event, he will campaign in support of nine candidates from the Secular Progressive Alliance contesting Assembly seats across Tiruchirappalli district.
Tamil Nadu Minister K N Nehru and Perambalur MP Arun Nehru, among others, are expected to attend.
According to All India Youth Congress general secretary Vichu Lenin Prasad, all nine candidates will be present at the meeting. Prasad is also the Congress candidate contesting from the reserved Thuraiyur constituency.
Speaking to ANI, he said, “It is a very proud moment for me, particularly because I am a Youth Congress person. I have been in the party for 19 years, working from the grassroots level—from Assembly Youth Congress President to State President, and now National General Secretary. I belong to a Scheduled Caste community. Our leader Rahul ji is coming to my constituency, which is the best moment ever. Rahul ji is going to campaign for all nine candidates in the Tiruchirappalli district. We have nine Assembly constituencies with nine candidates from Congress, DMK, and alliance partners. He will campaign for all nine candidates. Our Honorable Minister K. N. Nehru will lead this programme.”
He added, “Our Perambalur MP, Arun Nehru, will be present here. All nine candidates will be here, and our Congress leaders will come. As for arrangements, we are preparing the stage and the open meeting venue. We are also putting up sheds considering the summer heat, as a large turnout is expected.”
Tamil Nadu will go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4.
The main contest is expected between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), which includes the Indian National Congress, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the AIADMK with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) as allies.
(With inputs from ANI)