Rahul Gandhi to meet fishermen, people hit due to mining shutdown on Goa visit

The Congress is facing competition in the opposition space with the Trinamool Congress now joining the Aam Aadmi Party and existing regional parties like the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and the Goa Forward Party gearing up to take on the BJP in the upcoming assembly polls.

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will interact with fishermen and with those affected by the mining shutdown during his day-long visit to Goa on Saturday, Congress president of the state unit Girish Chodankar said on Wednesday.

Rahul Gandhi’s visit comes at a time when the party is keen to send out a message to its detractors that the high command takes the upcoming Goa assembly elections seriously and that it is best placed to take on the BJP in the coastal state. (AFP PHOTO.)

The Congress leader who will visit the state barely days after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee makes her maiden visit to Goa, will also interact with state Congress workers in a bid to ‘energise’ them ahead of the upcoming polls.

“Rahul Gandhi will interact with fishermen at Velsao (a coastal village) as well as with the people who will be affected by the railway doubling project (that passes through the same village),” Chodankar said.

“Gandhi will also interact with people affected due to closure of mining in the capital city later in the afternoon before heading for a meeting with Congress workers,” Chodankar said.

Rahul Gandhi’s visit comes at a time when the party is keen to send out a message to its detractors that the high command takes the upcoming Goa assembly elections seriously and that it is best placed to take on the BJP in the upcoming polls.

The Congress is facing competition in the opposition space with the Trinamool Congress now joining the Aam Aadmi Party and existing regional parties like the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and the Goa Forward Party to take on the BJP.