Rahul Gandhi lands on Narendra Modi's turf today to participate in a "Vikas Khoj Yatra" or march in search of development, a direct challenge to the Gujarat Chief Minister's claim of development and growth in his state, which he pitches as a model for the nation.
Mr Gandhi will join the yatra, organised by the Congress' youth wing, at Bardoli, a tribal dominated area in south Gujarat and is expected to walk for about four kilometres before making a speech.
Bardoli is famous for Sardar Vallabhai Patel's civil disobedience campaign against the British. The Congress and Mr Modi recently engaged in a ferocious battle over Sardar Patel's legacy, after the former seemed to belatedly realise that the BJP has placed honouring the freedom fighter, a Congressman, high on its agenda.
Mr Modi is building a statue in the middle of the Narmada river that he vows will be the world's largest. His party recently launched a programme aimed at collecting iron implements from every village in the country for the statue. Sardar Patel is known as the "Iron man of India."
Mr Modi is the BJP's prime ministerial candidate for the national elections due by May. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi has not been named as the official candidate for the top post by his party, but senior leaders are clear that he will be PM should it retain power at the Centre this year.
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