Summary:
Surat: By deciding to kick-start his party’s Lok Sabha campaign from Gujarat in Valsad, Congress president Rahul Gandhi will be keeping his date with history.Valsad, the pre-dominantly tribal LS constituency, had been Congress’ stronghold for years before the party lost this seat in 2014 polls. During Rajiv Gandi’s tenure too, tribal belt of Dangs, Valsad and Navsari had firmly supported the Congress. Gandhi is set to visit Dharampur in Valsad district later this month to formally launch Congress election campaign in Gujarat.Valsad, Lok Sabha seat is one such parliamentary seat where the party has fared well since the time of Indira Gandhi in 1970s . It was in 2014 that BJP, under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that Congress lost Valsad.Kadir Pirzada, All India Congress Committee (AICC) member and in -charge of Valsad Lok Sabha Constituency, said, “With Valsad, it has become a belief that whoever wins this seat, wins the country. However, Patel lost to BJP’s Dr KC Patel in 2014.When contacted, Congress leader Rajeev Satav, in-charge of Gujarat said, “Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) and Congress Legislative Party (CLP) is deciding on a couple of places where Rahulji will visit.”.