New Delhi, Jan 28 Congress MP and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday visited the Valmiki Temple in Delhi, marking an important outreach effort ahead of the February 5 Assembly elections in the national Capital.
LoP Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by the Congress' New Delhi Assembly candidate Sandeep Dikshit, offered prayers at the temple and engaged with residents in the Dalit colony of the constituency. As a gesture of respect, locals presented a turban to the Congress leader.
In the New Delhi constituency, Sandeep Dikshit faces tough competition from AAP National Convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and BJP's Parvesh Verma.
Following his temple visit, Rahul Gandhi met with residents of the New Delhi Assembly constituency, including women in the Dalit colony, to discuss their issues and concerns. He later visited Gole Market to interact with more locals.
Speaking to IANS, Sandeep Dikshit highlighted the key issues in the area, particularly unemployment. He criticised both AAP and BJP for neglecting the concerns of New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) employees.
"The biggest problem here is unemployment. Earlier, 7,800 people were employed in NDMC, but now those jobs are no longer available. Even compensatory jobs for employees' families have stopped. Kejriwal, who was part of NDMC, never addressed this issue.
"Similarly, the BJP, which oversees NDMC under the Union Home Ministry, failed to act. Rahul Gandhi has assured us that he will raise these issues in Parliament," Dikshit said.
Residents also voiced concerns about housing and employment.
Sunita, a local resident, shared with IANS, "We asked for proper housing and employment opportunities for our children. Rahul Gandhi promised to ensure these issues are addressed. We are hopeful that he will make this happen."
Another resident, Suman, expressed similar sentiments, and told IANS, "We need homes and jobs for our children. Rahul Gandhi assured us that our demands would be fulfilled as soon as the Congress wins the Assembly elections."
Later in the day, LoP Gandhi is scheduled to address rallies in Patparganj and Okhla as the Congress intensifies its campaign for the Delhi Assembly elections.
The Delhi Assembly elections are set for February 5, with results to be announced on February 8.
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