Lucknow: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday kickstarted his party's campaign for 2017 assembly polls in Deoria from where he embarked on a 2,500-km long "Kisan Yatra".
Rahul Gandhi's Kisan Yatra is aimed at energising party cadre and informing voters that the party is making a real bid at winning the state after 27 years.
Ahead of his Kisan Yatra, Gandhi led a door-to-door campaign from village Pachladi where he met farmers and collected signed 'Kisan Maang Patras' outlining their demands.
About 2,000 'khaats' were laid out at a ground in Rudrapur of Deoria district to accommodate participants for an interaction with Congress vice president which has been billed as 'Khaat Sabha.'
"My yatra from Deoria to Delhi starting September 6 is a campaign to secure the rights of the poor, farmers and labourers in government resources," Rahul's office had said in a tweet.
Gandhi's one-to-one interaction with farmers through 'Khaat Sabhas' is a concept similar to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Chai Pe Charcha' during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, and roadside meetings.
Rahul will also hold road shows at various places during the yatra.
On the first two days, Rahul will cover Kushinagar, Gorakhpur, Sant Kabirnagar and Basti besides Deoria.
The party has made preparations for making the Congress leader's longest yatra in the state a success. A team of national spokesmen will also be stationed in Lucknow to apprise media of the developments.
Behind this campaign is also political strategist Prashant Kishor's formula that Congress could bounce back if Brahmins are wooed. The last Brahmin chief minister from the state was Nd Tewari and this was precisely the rationale behind making Sheila Dikshit the chief ministerial face.
Rahul Gandhi's Kisan Yatra is aimed at energising party cadre and informing voters that the party is making a real bid at winning the state after 27 years.
Ahead of his Kisan Yatra, Gandhi led a door-to-door campaign from village Pachladi where he met farmers and collected signed 'Kisan Maang Patras' outlining their demands.
About 2,000 'khaats' were laid out at a ground in Rudrapur of Deoria district to accommodate participants for an interaction with Congress vice president which has been billed as 'Khaat Sabha.'
"My yatra from Deoria to Delhi starting September 6 is a campaign to secure the rights of the poor, farmers and labourers in government resources," Rahul's office had said in a tweet.
Gandhi's one-to-one interaction with farmers through 'Khaat Sabhas' is a concept similar to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Chai Pe Charcha' during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, and roadside meetings.
Rahul will also hold road shows at various places during the yatra.
On the first two days, Rahul will cover Kushinagar, Gorakhpur, Sant Kabirnagar and Basti besides Deoria.
The party has made preparations for making the Congress leader's longest yatra in the state a success. A team of national spokesmen will also be stationed in Lucknow to apprise media of the developments.
Behind this campaign is also political strategist Prashant Kishor's formula that Congress could bounce back if Brahmins are wooed. The last Brahmin chief minister from the state was Nd Tewari and this was precisely the rationale behind making Sheila Dikshit the chief ministerial face.