By IANS,
Mumbai : Recalling the Congress’ “deep bonds” with Mumbai and Maharashtra, party president Sonia Gandhi Monday urged the people of the state to return it back to power in the state in the upcoming assembly elections.
The Congress’ aim had always been to serve and give justice to the common people of the country, Gandhi said addressing party workers at the inauguration of the new party headquarters, the Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan, here.
“Mumbai and Maharashtra have a deep bond with the Congress, which was born here; even the late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi presented his vision of the 21st century for India from Mumbai,” she pointed out.
Launching the party’s campaign for the Oct 13 state assembly elections, Gandhi said Mumbai was not only the pride of the nation, but also amongst the great cities in the world with the people of the city leading the country in many aspects.
“For the first time since 1991, people have voted the Congress back to power for a second time with a thumping majority,” she said referring to the April-May Lok Sabha polls, and urged people to support the party once again in next month’s Maharashtra assembly elections.
Gandhi, who travelled economy class from New Delhi to Mumbai aboard an Air India flight, inaugurated the Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan which will serve as the headquarters of the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC).
It is located opposite the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), which was one of the targets of the Mumbai terror attacks on Nov 26 last year.
Present on the occasion were state Congress president Manikrao Thakre, Mumbai party chief Kripa Shankar Singh, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, his senior cabinet colleagues, including Narayan Rane, as well as Mumbai legislators, parliamentarians and municipal corporators.