For NCP-Congress, Rahul Gandhi saves the day in Mumbai

The Congress had to fall back on its Vice President Rahul Gandhi to rescue its mega rally at the MMRDA grounds in Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai, after the original star campaigners for the rally — Congress president Sonia Gandhi and NCP chief Sharad Pawar — skipped the event.

Rahul Gandhi during Rally for six UPA candidates of Mumbai at MMRDA ground in BKC on Sunday. Seen here with Milind Deora and other Congress candidates. (IE Photo: Prashant Nadkar)

While the Congress cited health reasons for cancellation of Sonia’s visit to Maharashtra, Pawar’s absence raised eyebrows in political circles.

The official announcement regarding Pawar’s not making it to the rally was made by NCP leader and Maharashtra’s Rural Development Minister Jayant Patil only after the leaders took to the stage.

Rahul Gandhi with Maharashtra Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan. (IE Photo: Prashant Nadkar)

Roped in at the last minute, Rahul Gandhi arrived at the venue two hours behind schedule. “The Congress president asked me to address the event in her place and I happily accepted,” Rahul Gandhi told the crowd at BKC. (IE Photo: Prashant Nadkar)

Addressing an audience of over a lakh people, Rahul Gandhi appealed to the cosmopolitan character of the city saying that the Congress line of thought is in the DNA of the city. “This city believes in brotherhood where people love and respect each other and progress together making it the most productive city of the country. That is why the Congress was born here,” he said. (IE Photo: Prashant Nadkar)

He said the “Opposition believes in dividing the society on religious and communal lines”. He reiterated the charge that the BJP’s politics was centred around benefiting a coterie of few businessmen, whereas the Congress believed in taking the poor along in the development.

Rahul Gandhi shares the stage with Prithviraj Chavan and Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde. (IE Photo: Prashant Nadkar)

“This is a city of dreams. We want the poor and the tribals to retain these dreams something that the BJP does not subscribe too,” Rahul said.(IE Photo: Prashant Nadkar)

Rahul Gandhi also tried to strike an emotive chord with the migrant voting population in Mumbai. “I interacted with 300 rickshawwallahs in Uttar Pradesh, none of whom wanted their children to become autowallahs. I also travelled from Gorakhpur to Mumbai in a train, where I also spoke to coolies. We would like to see their children work in corporate offices,” he said, pointing at one such office situated near the venue. Congress supporters at the rally. (IE Photo: Prashant Nadkar)

He did not miss out the sons of the soil card either referring to his recent meeting with fisherfolk in Mumbai’s Versova. He also had an eye on the slum voter, when he heralded the Maharashtra government’s move to extend slum cut off deadline and recognise transfer of legal slums. (IE Photo: Prashant Nadkar)

Rahul Gandhi also took on Narendra Modi for suggesting that the Congress had done nothing for people in 60 years.”In the last ten years alone, the UPA has brought 15 crore people out of poverty. But the Opposition cannot appreciate this as they do not cater to the poor. When Modi came here, all he announced was that he would set up an acting university in Mumbai,” he said. (IE Photo: Prashant Nadkar)

The rally ended with Rahul doing a round around the stage with the UPA’s six candidates from Mumbai.

Rahul Gandhi with Congress MP Priya Dutt. (IE Photo: Prashant Nadkar)