Mumbai: With elections to 27 zilla parishads, 309 panchayat samitis and 10 municipal corporations coming up next month, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has invited Rahul Gandhi to address a public meeting in Mumbai.
The zilla parishad and panchayat samiti polls will be held on February 7, while elections for municipal corporations, including the country's premier civic body Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Mumbai, are scheduled for February 16.
"We have booked the MMRDA grounds in suburban Bandra and have sought Rahulji's time between February 6 and 8," a senior leader and member of the party's election campaign committee said.
The leader said the AICC general secretary's schedule in Uttar Pradesh will not be affected, if he agrees to accept the state unit's invite.
"Election rallies in Uttar Pradesh are not held in the evenings. He can campaign there in the morning and then come to Mumbai in the evening," he said.
The public meeting in Mumbai will be a symbolic one, where Gandhi can reach out to the electorate all over the state and exhort them to make party candidates victorious for the zilla parishad, panchayat samitis and municipal corporations, he said.
Highlighting the importance of Mumbai civic polls, party sources said, late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had launched the Congress campaign for Mumbai civic polls in the early 80s.
Meanwhile, sources said that it is unlikely that AICC chief Sonia Gandhi will address a joint election rally with the NCP.
"Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, union ministers from the state will hold joint rallies with the NCP leaders," the leader said.
Both the parties plan to cash on the individual charisma of NCP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Chief Minister Chavan in the campaign, he said.
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