Congress "Mehangai Hatao" mega rally to be held in Jaipur

Rajasthan is set to bear witness to a massive Congress rally in the capital of Jaipur today as Opposition parties coalesce in a show of strength against the ruling BJP party ahead of assembly elections next year. The Congress-led rally will host  senior leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Chief Ministers of various other parties in the Opposition.

Rising inflation and sky-high prices of essential commodities are the themes of the rally which has the slogan "Mehengai Hatao".

"Today is a historic day for Rajasthan when a national rally is being organized in Jaipur to protest against the rising inflation due to wrong policies of the central government, in which all the senior leaders of the party including the top Congress leadership are participating...I welcome Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi to the land of Rajasthan," tweeted Rajsthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

Rajasthan Congress leader Sachin Pilot said that the rally would unseat the BJP government at the Center and make it answerable to "seven years of misgovernance" in a statement to the media.

Congress' image in Rajasthan has been severely dented by an ongoing feud between Sachin Pilot and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Pilot's rebellion against Gehlot resulted in a compromise during the cabinet reshuffle last month, with five MLAs from his camp joining the state government.

As such, the mega rally is expected to raise spirits of Congress workers and rebrand the grand old party's image, while also countering the growing influence of Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee whose drubbing of the BJP in her home state has earned her the voice to publicly position herself as the leader of the Opposition.

A successful high-profile public event will, the party hopes, help in quietening divisions, particularly since a leadership crisis has been festering in Punjab, where the party's backing of Navjot Sidhu saw veteran leader Amarinder Singh quit as Chief Minister and resign from the party. Mr Singh has announced his own party and has spoken of a seat-sharing deal with the BJP.