Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be visiting Rajasthan's Banswara on World Tribal Day (August 9) to address a gathering.
The Congress is making preparations for this huge meeting at Mangarh Dham in Banswara and the event is being considered as a show of political power by the party in tribal areas and the beginning of its electoral campaign in the state for the upcoming Assembly polls.
The gathering at Mangarh Dham assumes added significance as Mangarh Dham is the centre of faith of the tribals and Congress seeks to show its strength by mobilising a large number of tribals on the occasion of World Tribal Day.
Congress state President Govind Singh Dotasra said: "We are going to hold a big meeting at Mangarh Dham on August 9 on the occasion of World Tribal Day. An invitation was sent to Rahul Gandhi for this meeting. The state in-charge has said that he has approved it."
"PM Narendra Modi has held six meetings in Rajasthan so far. We will have more people than all the people who came in six gatherings of Modi. More than that will come to the meeting of World Tribal Day in Mangarh," he added.
Noting that there was a demand for years to declare Mangarh Dham as a national monument, Dotasra said: "The Prime Minister did not say a word on that. We would like our government to give such a gift in the presence of Rahul Gandhi, so that their enthusiasm remains. We cannot declare it as a national monument, but we can make announcements in this direction which always remained as a memory among the tribals."
"The coming of Rahul Gandhi among the tribal brothers and the going of all of us there is not a political but a social message that we are standing with them. Whatever we can do for the welfare and progress of the tribals, we will do. We will be partners in their happiness and sorrow. In fact we will give message like this," he added.
In the presence of Rahul Gandhi, CM Ashok Gehlot can make a big announcement to garner tribal votes. A project has already been announced for the development of Mangarh Dham.
Looking at the election year, Gehlot will make some more announcements for the tribal area, said sources. The tribal vote has been the traditional vote of the Congress, but in the last few elections, the BJP and local parties have made inroads into it.
The BTP and a new party are spoiling the equation of Congress, which faces a challenge before the Congress is to win seats in tribal-dominated Banswara, Dungarpur, Pratapgarh, and Udaipur as there is general belief in Rajasthan that the party which wins more seats in the tribal areas forms the government.
(With inputs from IANS)
