Pitted against BJP`s PM candidate Narendra Modi, Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry on Saturday filed his nomination from Vadodara Lok Sabha constituency and said he would "expose" Modi`s Gujarat development model.
Vadodara,: Pitted against BJP`s PM candidate Narendra Modi, Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry on Saturday filed his nomination from Vadodara Lok Sabha constituency and said he would "expose" Modi`s Gujarat development model.
The 69-year-old party general secretary was accompanied by Leader of Opposition in Gujarat Assembly Shankersinh Vaghela, state Congress chief Arjun Modhwadiya and others when he filed his papers before the district electoral officer.
Modi, who is also contesting from Varanasi, is expected to file nomination here on the last day, April 9, for the April 30 poll.
Mistry said he had studied at the local MS University, and people of the city would embrace him.
"About 15,000 people took part in our rally here today before I filed my papers, despite the 40 degree Celsius temperature. This indicates my eventual victory," said Mistry.
He said he would "expose Modi`s so-called Gujarat development model".
The Congress leader was on Thursday arrested along with his supporters for tearing down Modi`s posters and his party had complained to the Election Commission that the Gujarat Chief Minister was monopolising advertisement space in Vadodara by "abusing" his authority.
They were later released on personal bonds of Rs 5000 each.
District Collector Vinod Rao said that apart from Mistry, Narendra Rawat, city Congress chief, filed a nomination as a dummy candidate.
Mistry, currently a Rajya Sabha member, had represented Sabarkantha constituency in Lok Sabha in 2004. He lost there in 2009.
The Congress leader said that he will be "grateful" if Priyanka Gandhi visits his constituency Vadodara where he is taking on Narendra Modi.
"I will be very happy if she comes.... I will indeed be grateful if she comes for a roadshow," Mistry told PTI.
His remarks came close on the heels of reports quoting Gandhi family friend and key Congress strategist Sam Pitroda that Priyanka will share her brother and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi`s burden.
She will interact with media more and also campaign aggressively in the coming days, Pitroda has said, making it clear that the 42-year-old would complement her elder brother`s efforts, not overshadow them.
Ahead of the filing of nominations, Mistry had said that he was confident of a victory in Vadodara "because of the solid support of the party and people."
"I am full of confidence that I will turn the tables," he said.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.