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Rahul Gandhi kicks off Gujarat tour, offers prayers at Somnath Temple

His three-day trip will begin with the Somnath Temple in Gir Somnath district, some 420 km from the state capital Gandhinagar.

Rahul Gandhi kicks off Gujarat tour, offers prayers at Somnath Temple Rahul Gandhi offers prayers at Somnath Temple (INC)

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday began his three-day Gujarat tour by paying a visit to Somnath Temple in Gir Somnath district, some 420 km from the state capital Gandhinagar. This is Rahul’s visit trip to Gujarat after the assembly polls results were announced in the state on Monday.

After the Somnath Temple visit, Rahul will fly to Ahmedabad to hold a meeting of party leaders and candidates who lost the elections.

The Congress chief will talk to leaders from South Gujarat, North Gujarat, Central Gujarat and the Saurashtra-Kutch region and ascertain the reasons behind the party’s defeat, though the party had improved its performance over 2012 elections.

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Rahul Gandhi kicks off Gujarat tour, offers prayers at Somnath Temple Rahul Gandhi at Somnath Temple (INC)

Rahul had visited the Somnath Temple during the recent election campaign and his name was found written on the entry register meant for non-Hindus, which kicked up a row. The Congress had called it “fake” and the BJP insisted that the leader declare his religious faith before people.

Non-Hindus are allowed to visit the temple but have to first get themselves registered at the shrine’s office. A purported photocopy of a page of the register for non-Hindus had gone viral on social media with the names of Gandhi and senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel written on it. The Congress chief had later said that he and his family were devotees of Lord Shiva.

Festive offer Rahul Gandhi kicks off Gujarat tour, offers prayers at Somnath Temple Rahul Gandhi at Somnath Temple (INC)

Out of 182 assembly seats in Gujarat, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged 99, Congress won 77 and others won seven seats. BJP’s vote share in the state increased from 47.9 per cent (2012) to 49.1 per cent. Though, it is a huge comedown if one compares it with the 59.1 per cent share it got in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. On the other hand, the Rahul Gandhi-led party improved its performance and its vote share increased from 38.9 per cent (2012) to 41.4 per cent.

Rahul had on Friday chaired a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), his first after taking over as Congress president. While addressing the media after the meet, Rahul said it was disappointing that the party lost in Gujarat but he was pleased to see that the Congress fought hatred and anger with respect, love and courage. “At every step, they were trying to polarise. Our party played a very positive role in keeping everybody together,” he added.

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Meanwhile, on Saturday, he took a jibe at the BJP saying if the saffron party had a film franchise, it would be called “Lie Hard”.

Rahul took over the chairmanship of the Congress from his mother Sonia Gandhi on December 16 after being unanimously elected to the post.

(With PTI inputs)

First uploaded on: 23-12-2017 at 08:23 IST
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