Rahul Gandhi in Rajasthan: 'Country’s watchman is a thief'

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday blew the poll bugle in Rajasthan, which is scheduled to go on polls in December this year. The Congress chief has met his party workers and addressed a gathering in Dungarpur district of the poll-bound state. Last month, the Gandhi scion hold a road show in Jaipur to launch the Congress' campaign ahead of Rajasthan Assembly Elections 2018.

Gandhi's visit to Dungarpur is significant as the tribal district in the southern part of Rajasthan is considered to be a stronghold of the Congress. It seems like Gandhi’s rally in Dungarpur will try to regain its traditional tribal vote bank in 2018.

Here are the highlights on Gandhi's Rajasthan visit:

# 5:41 pm: “People are now heard saying that the country’s watchman is a thief. Galli galli me shor hai, desh ka chowkidar chor hai,” Gandhi was referring to the Prime Minister’s silence on the Rafale fighter aircraft deal with France and the Modi government’s failure to bring fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya to book.

# 4.00 pm: "Make in India has flopped. Congress govt will open the doors of banks to our the youth & MSMEs of Rajasthan who in turn will employment," said Congress President Rahul Gandhi. 

# 3:40 pm: "I want to see more women candidates in elections because nothing can happen in India without them," Gandhi said in Dungarpur's Sagwara.

# 3:09 pm: Congress President Rahul Gandhi addresses a gathering in Sagwara, Rajasthan.

# 3:08 pm: Congress President arrives to a warm welcome in Sagwara, Rajasthan.

# 3:05 pm: Congress President Rahul Gandhi visits the Gayatri Mandir, Sagwara.

# 08:26 am: Congress President Rahul Gandhi will be in Rajasthan today. He will be meeting party workers and addressing a public gathering in Sagwara, Dungarpur.

In 2014 elections, the tribal community switched to the BJP and the Congress managed to secure only four assembly seats out of the total 35 in the Mewar region of Rajasthan.

Post today's rally, the Congress president will pay a visit to Rajasthan again in October, for which the venue is yet to be finalised.

To intensify its campaign in poll-bound Rajasthan, BJP president Amit Shah Tuesday reached out to the tribal district of the Vagad region. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje also led the Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra from Charbhuja temple of the Mewar region underlining its significance in the state’s politics.

In 2003, BJP won 22 of the 33 seats in the Mewar region. In 2008, post-delimitation, the number of seats in the region went up to 35. In 2008, Congress won 24 and BJP 9. In 2013, BJP swept the elections by winning 30 seats.

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