Sonia's speeches centre on local issues

Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday kicked off the second round of electioneering in Gujarat by highlighting local issues such as power rate hike and water scarcity.

Addressing public meetings at Bhuj and Jamnagar, the Congress president recalled her earlier visits to these places with her husband, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, during droughts in the region.

"You have very bravely faced many droughts. The governments at the Centre and the state have not fulfilled their promises in the last ten years," she said.

Increase in electricity charges and withdrawal of subsidies on various items have pushed farmers to deep crisis, she said.

Addressing a meeting in Jamnagar, Sonia said the brass parts industry, which is the economic backbone of the poor and the middle class in the region, is in trouble and the state and the central governments have done nothing for the small-scale sector.

All the large industries in Jamnagar were set up during the previous Congress rule, she said.

Accusing the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance of corruption and poor governance, Sonia said it has fuelled unemployment and disturbed communal harmony in Mahatma Gandhi's land.

She said moral values in the public life have deteriorated in Gujarat and the state government has failed to protect the poor and the minorities.

Lashing out at the Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Congress president said, "On one hand he is chanting the mantra of 'rajdharma' and on the other, both the prime minister and the deputy prime minister L K Advani are praising the chief minister Narendra Modi."

The Supreme Court had to intervene to give justice to the minority. "Where is rajdharma," she asked.

The Congress president offered floral tributes to the statues of Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar and Gen Rajendrasinhji Jadeja at the Lal Bungalow circle in Jamnagar.

State Congress president Bahiravdan Gadhvi and party leader Pruthviraj Chauhan also spoke.

District Congress president Bhikubhai Varotaria offered a statue of Lord Krishna to the party president.

Congress candidate for the coming Lok Sabha elections Vikram Madam and NCP candidate Balvant Manvar were also on the stage.

The Congress president later addressed a public rally at Modasa in Sabarkantha district where she highlighted local issues including water scarcity.

A number of villagers, among others, attended the public meetings.