Support me like you supported my grandmother Indira Gandhi: Rahul appeals to people in Karnataka's Chikmagalur

Chikmagalur: Addressing a rally in poll-bound Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi asked people in Chikmagalur to bless him like they had blessed his grandmother Indira Gandhi.

"You stood with my grandmother Mrs Indira Gandhi during her toughest days and helped her achieve a historic win in Chikmagalur. I humbly request you to bless me with your support like you supported my grandmother," he said.

Rahul also attacked the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "China is building helipads and airports at our borders in Doklam but PM Modi is silent. No important issues of this nation are addressed by the PM," he said, and added, "From kindergarten to PG, every girl child gets free education from the Karnataka government. In Gujarat, however, around 90% of institutions are privatised and it costs 15 lakhs for every student to graduate."

Rahul further said, "PM Modi speaks about corruption while sharing the stage with his own party members who were jailed for corruption. People do not want to listen to lies and speeches of hate. They want to listen to truth and issues that concern them. I'm confident that due to the unity and hard work of our party workers, we will win."

"The people of Chikkamagaluru stood by my grandmother, Smt. Indira Gandhi during her weakest moment. Will always be grateful for that. People of Chikkamagaluru gave power to Smt. Gandhi to fight for the sake of the poor": @RahulGandhi, AICC President#INC4Karnataka pic.twitter.com/mn7R9ELE8d

— Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) March 21, 2018

Former PM Indira had scripted her political comeback from Chikmagalur. She had visited the place when she was not even a Member of Parliament. 

Indira had contested the Lok Sabha bypolls from Chikmagalur in 1978 and had subsequently won from there, at the time when the Congress was down in dumps after the imposition of emergency. She had defeated Janata Party's Veerendra Patil.

DB Chandre Gowda, a Congress loyalist, had vacated his parliamentary seat for Indira. Chikmagalur was a Congress stronghold until then. Two years later she returned as the PM of India dislodging the Janata Party government.