Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s rally in the national capital on Thursday was canceled due to his poor health and medical advice. He was scheduled to hold the rally in Mustafabad in northeast Delhi, but people familiar with him said he is suffering from chest congestion.
The Congress campaign for the Assembly elections was expected to get a big boost from Rahul’s three daily rallies on three successive days, starting January 22, but two of these have now been canceled.
“As of now, Rahul Gandhi’s election rally in Madipur on Friday is on schedule, and he is likely to address a massive gathering,” said Delhi Congress chief Devendra Yadav, a day after the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha failed to show up for an election rally near Inderlok metro station in the Sadar Assembly constituency on Wednesday.
Dismissing speculation that the cancellation of Rahul’s rallies was aimed at helping the AAP-by preventing a division of Muslim voters-Yadav said, “These are rumors. We are fighting the election independently.” “After Republic Day, the party leaders will step up the campaign in Delhi,” he said.
On Wednesday, Gandhi was scheduled to hold a campaign rally near Inderlok Metro Station in the Sadar Bazar constituency, but he canceled it. The Congress maintained until the last minute that Gandhi would be addressing the rally, but later announced, towards the end of the public meeting held near the Inderlok metro station, that he would not be able to attend.
His message was read at the campaign event, in which he urged voters to choose Congress in the February 5 elections. Rahul had skipped the ‘Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan’ rally in Karnataka’s Belagavi on Tuesday. He was also scheduled to hold a padayatra on Monday in the New Delhi Assembly constituency in support of party candidate Sandeep Dikshit, who is contesting against AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal.
Meanwhile, Rahul shared a video montage on Facebook highlighting issues such as inflation, unemployment, pollution, and corruption. He said Delhi now wants the “real development model” of former chief minister Sheila Dikshit and not the “false propaganda and PR model” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal. “Bad construction, dirt, inflation, unemployment, pollution, and corruption-the truth of Delhi is in front of the public,” the former Congress chief said in his Facebook post in Hindi.
“Delhi now wants the same real development model of Sheila Dikshit ji, not the false propaganda and PR model of Modi and Kejriwal,” Rahul said ahead of the Assembly polls.
Rahul could not address a public meeting in the Sadar Bazar Assembly constituency on Wednesday due to his ill health and appealed to people via a message read out at the rally to ensure the party’s victory in the polls.
Due to his ill health, Gandhi also could not travel to Karnataka’s Belagavi for the ‘Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan’ rally on Tuesday. Earlier, his political program in the New Delhi constituency was also called off.
Earlier this month, Rahul launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying there is no difference between the two leaders and that they do not want backward classes, Dalits, tribals, and minorities to get their due share.
Specifically targeting Kejriwal at his first public meeting for the Delhi Assembly polls, Rahul said that the AAP convener was following “Modi’s strategy of propaganda and false promises,” despite rising pollution, corruption, and inflation in the national capital.
He also promised a caste survey in Delhi if Congress formed the government in the national capital.
Rahul had praised the work done under three successive Sheila Dikshit-led governments and asserted that neither Kejriwal nor the BJP could match the Congress’ track record.
