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| Glimpses of Rajiv as Rahul speaks | | Nehru-Gandhi scion seeks absolute mandate for Congress | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
Tangdhar/Udhampur, Nov 28: Even as the shades of a ‘younger Rajiv’ were clearly visible, the crowds apparently had more interest in catching a glimpse of him than taking his speech as the Congress General Secretary and scion of Nehru-Gandhi family, Rahul Gandhi addressed his maiden public meetings in Jammu and Kashmir.
Unlike other Congress leaders who have been giving one line in Jammu and another in Kashmir, Rahul had a focused approach on entire Jammu and Kashmir and his speech did not make any attempt of drawing regional lines as he addressed one public meeting in Tangdhar area of Kupwara district and other in Udhampur.
The Congress General Secretary focused mainly on peace and development and sought absolute mandate for his party to steer Jammu and Kashmir ahead on path of progress and development. PCC President Saif-ud-Din Soz, former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Union Minister Prithviraj Singh Chavan also accompanied Rahul Gandhi who was on his maiden visit to Jammu and Kashmir after joining active politics.
He urged voters to give a clear majority to his party to enable over-all development, peace and prosperity and help fight terrorism.
Addressing about 4,000 people in Udhampur town, about 65 km north of Jammu, Rahul said: "Give us clear majority so that we don't have to look to others while delivering to you."
Rahul said that it was only the Congress that could give progress, development and prosperity to the nation amidst peaceful environs. He expressed concern at the increasing number of "terrorist attacks" in the country and said that his party had concrete plans to fight it out.
Earlier in the day, Rahul campaigned for his party candidate in Karnah constituency of Kupwara district in north Kashmir that goes to polls in third phase Nov 30. Sheikh Yasin, a retired deputy commissioner, is fighting the polls on Congress ticket from Karnah.
"We have put up a strong candidate in Karnah and Rahul Gandhi's visit would be a great boost to him," said state Congress committee president Saif-ud-Din Soz.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi is slated to arrive in the state Dec 3. She is set to campaign in Uri in the Kashmir Valley and the mountain-locked Doda district in Jammu region, said party spokesperson Ravinder Sharma.
The Congress leaders are enthused by the large turnout of voters in the first two of the seven-phased elections for Jammu and Kashmir's 87-member assembly. The row over the allotment of land to the Amarnath shrine board had in July resulted in the fall of the Ghulam Nabi Azad government, the first Congress chief minister of the state in three decades. |
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