Congress to sound poll bugle with mega rally in Nagpur today

Nagpur: The Congress is set to kickstart its campaign for next year's Lok Sabha elections with its mega rally 'Hain Tayyar Hum' in Maharashtra's Nagpur city on Thursday, the party's 139th foundation day.

"It will be a historic moment for the people of the country," Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Wednesday said addressing a press conference at the venue of the event.

The party will give a message of change to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre, he said.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will address the rally, according to party leaders.

The mega event assumes significance as it will be held in Nagpur, where the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's (RSS) headquarters and 'Deekshabhoomi', the historic place where Dr. B R Ambedkar embraced Buddhism, are located.

"The rally, with the theme 'Hain Tayyar Hum' (we are ready), will send a good message throughout the country. The Congress will sound the bugle for the Lok Sabha polls due next year," party MLA from Nagpur Nitin Raut told PTI.
Elaborate preparations have been made for the mega rally at Dighori in Nagpur where lakhs of people and Congress workers will attend the event, as per party leaders.

"Whenever the country faced trouble, the Congress pitched in and a big change took place in the country," Patole told reporters.

He claimed the country's democratic system, Constitution and all the four pillars of democracy are under threat. "It is the responsibility of the Congress party to keep these systems intact," he said.

"On the foundation day of the Congress, a message of change will be given by resolving to bring down the tyrannical and arrogant government of the Bharatiya Janata Party," he said.

Patole claimed the BJP was misusing the Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation and Income Tax Department to suppress opposition voices.

"They (opposition leaders) are being intimidated. Over 100 MPs are suspended for questioning the security breach at Parliament. But the Congress is not scared of such action. Just as the world's most powerful British were forced to leave the country, we will make this dictatorial BJP sit at home as well," he added.

While inflation and problems of farmers, workers and youth have become serious issues, the government systems are under siege, he alleged.

"The battle of the Congress is to save the country which is going through a difficult situation and the Congress guarantees that it will save the nation," he added.
Congress MLA Raut said the party has chosen Nagpur for the rally due to its ideology and thinking.

On one hand, there is the RSS ideology, and the other hand is the ideology of Constitution's architect Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar which is aligned with the ideology of the Congress, he said.

The public will certainly go along with the slogan of the Congress and the rally will sound the bugle for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Raut added.
On Thursday evening, Kharge will also hold a meeting here with the Congress general secretaries and other senior party leaders, as per the schedule shared by the party.