new Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday offered prayers at the Dwarkadhish temple here after arriving in Gujarat for his party’s brainstorming session to chalk out a strategy for the state assembly elections due in December this year.
Rahul Gandhi is here to participate in the ‘Chintan Shivir’, a brainstorming session organized by the Gujarat Congress, which began on Friday and will end on Sunday. The visit is being seen as the start of the Congress’ election campaign for the assembly elections in a state that has been a BJP stronghold for a long time.
Gandhi landed at the Jamnagar airport in a special aircraft before reaching Dwarka in a helicopter around noon. He was received at the helipad near Dwarka town by senior party leaders including Gujarat Congress President Jagdish Thakor, former state president Amit Chavda and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Sukhram Rathwa.
After that, he reached the famous Dwarkadhish temple dedicated to Lord Krishna, where a traditional folk dance was presented to welcome him. Gujarat Congress farmers’ cell president Pal Ambalia said that after applying tilak on the forehead, Gandhi took ‘Dhaja’, a big religious flag to be offered to the temple after offering prayers at the temple.
Inside the temple, Rahul Gandhi worshiped Lord Dwarkadhish and participated in a religious ritual or puja. Ambalia said the religious flag offered by Gandhi would be hoisted over the temple as per tradition.
After paying obeisance to Lord Krishna, Rahul Gandhi had breakfast with local party leaders at a dining hall near the temple. He then left for the party’s Chintan Shivir site. Gandhi is expected to address party leaders in the brainstorming session.