Rahul beats PM in ‘temple run’
RAJKOT: Rahul Gandhi is currently ahead of Narendra Modi in a version of temple run that is playing out across Gujarat, in the run-up to assembly elections in the state, with the vice-president of the Indian National Congress visiting 21 temples thus far, to the Prime Minister’s four.
The visits are significant in a state where heads of temples and religious leaders hold considerable sway over voters and are perhaps an indication of how keen the Congress party is to wrest the state from the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has governed it for 22 years.
“Through te mple visits, Rahul Gandhi has been trying for acceptance of the Congress among Gujarat’s voters. It assumes significance as the BJP came to power following its Ram Rath Yatra from Somnath,” said Jwalant Chhaya, a political analyst in the state.
His reference is to a march led by BJP leader LK Advani, from Somnath, in 1990 that is widely acknowledged as having sparked the resurgence of the party. On Wednesday, Gandhi visited Somnath temple. The visit turned controversial after his name was found in a book
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NEWDELHI: Rahul Gandhi is likely to file his nomination papers for the Congress president’s post on December 4 with several senior leaders, including former PM Manmohan Singh, likely to propose his name.
The 47-year-old leader’s election to the post could be a mere formality as no one is expected to put up a contest against him. About 50-55 sets of nomination papers
meant for non-hindu visitors to the temple. There was confusion over how it found its way there; his media co-ordinator, who was initially reported as having made the entry, denied he had. In a conference later that evening, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said Gandhi was a Hindu. “The Congress, in a bid to make a comeback after two decades, is finally trying to send a message across that they too believe in Hindutva,” Chhaya said.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders said Modi would visit more temples as he spends more time in the from all states are expected to be filed on his behalf. As per Congress constitution, it is not necessary for Rahul to personally file the nominations. Ten Pradesh Congress Committee delegates are required to seek his consent on the nomination papers. Rahul’s papers will then be submitted before the Central Election Authority (CEA).
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state ahead of the elections on December 9 and 14. The Prime Minister is expected to address more than 35 rallies and road shows in the state where he was chief minister between 2001 and 2014.
The BJP has also mocked Gandhi’s temple visits. “He doesn’t even know how to perform aarti,” state BJP president Jitu Vaghani said. The Congress’s Shaktisinh Gohil responded by asking whether the BJP had a monopoly over “faith”. “Why should they have any problem if Rahulji visits temples? “.