Today in Politics: Rahul to step up Cong Odisha campaign on Odia icon anniv; Sunita Kejriwal roadshow in West Delhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is set to step up his party’s Odisha campaign Sunday, the birth anniversary of Madhusudan Das, known as the epitome of “Odia asmita and swabhiman (Odia pride and self-esteem)”.

Rahul is scheduled to visit Satyabhamapur in Cuttack district, the native place of Madhu Babu, to garland his statue before addressing a rally at Salipur that falls under the Kendrapada Lok Sabha seat. This time, Odia pride is a major poll plank for the Congress in Odisha, where it has been struggling to revive its organisation for several years.

Odisha will see simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha polls in four phases starting May 13. The Naveen Patnaik-led BJD has been ruling the state since 2000. The BJP, the former ally of the BJD, has emerged as the principal Opposition in the state since 2019 polls.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Karnataka, addressing public rallies in Belagavi, Uttara Kannada, Davanagere and Ballari.

BJP national president J P Nadda will address a public meeting at Berhampur in south Odisha. He is also scheduled to chair a meeting of party workers of four Lok Sabha constituencies. He will be arriving from West Bengal, where he will address public rallies in Berhampore and Ranaghat earlier in the day.

With her husband Arvind Kejriwal, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo and Delhi Chief Minister in the Tihar jail in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case, Sunita Kejriwal will continue to spearhead the AAP’s poll campaign, holding a roadshow in the West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency on Sunday.

According to the AAP leaders, she will also campaign for the party candidates in South Delhi and New Delhi constituencies, as well as in Gujarat, Haryana and Punjab.

Sunita held her maiden poll roadshow