Rahul Gandhi may launch poll campaign in Dhule

Mumbai: Congress president Rahul Gandhi is likely to launch the party’s Lok Sabha poll campaign in Maharashtra from Dhule on March 1 and also address a rally in Mumbai the same day.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi may also address rally in the state from next month, the sources said. Rahul’s rally will follow two joint public meetings of the Congress and NCP on February 20 and February 23, to be held in Nanded and Beed. NCP chief Sharad Pawar and the All India Congress Committee member in charge of Maharashtra, Mallikarjun Kharge, will attend the joint rallies.

“Rahul Gandhi will be in Dhule to campaign for the party. This will be his first rally in the poll season,” a source said. The rally is being organised in Dhule since it would be convenient for the party workers from the district and neighbouring Jalgaon and Nandurbar to attend it, he said.

Congress leaders from state have requested the party president to address multiple rallies in the state, the source added.

State Congress chief Ashok Chavan said, “We are in the process. We are planning a rally in Dhule, but all this is yet to be finalised officially.” The Congress, which is joining forces with other like-minded parties, is seeking a return to power after its drubbing in the 2014 parliamentary elections at the hands of the resurgent BJP.

The party had managed to win only two seats in the state — Nanded (represented by Mr Chavan) and Hingoli (held by Rajeev Satav) in the last Lok Sabha polls.