Surat/Rajkot:

The non-seasonal rain and inclement weather in Gujarat especially in Southern districts and Coastal Saurashtra caused by approaching cyclone Ockhi, has also affected the poll campaign in the state with large number of election rallies including the ones of BJP president Amit Shah and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi have been cancelled today.

Those of Congress leader Rajbabbar, Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje Scindia, UP CM Yogi Adityanath and Bhojpuri Superstar cum Delhi BJP Chief Manoj Tiwary were alsocancelled.

Owing to the bad weather even the aircraft of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi , who started his 3 day Gujarat visit from today, had to made landing at Bhuj airport instead of earlier planned Kandla. He could address only one of his four meeting in Anjar of Kutch while owing to bad weather and rain his three other meetings at Morbi, Dhranghdhra and Wadhvan in Surendranagar were cancelled.

Election rallies of NCP leader Praful Patel, union minister Purshottam Rupala were also called off.

A BJP leader said that Shah’s meeting at Sihor and Mahuva in Bhavnagar district and Rajula in Amreli district were called off as it was not possible for a chopper to land there owing to rain and bad weather. Scindia, Yogi and Tiwary were to address rallies in Surat. ‘Now in the affected areas the party was focusing more on rescue and relief work rather than campaign as PM Modi has appealed us to do so,’ he added.

A Congress leader said that as Rahul’s meeting at Anjar could only take place while the three other rallies were later cancelled. Other events of other leaders in coastal areas or Surat and Saurashtra including the one of Rajbabbar in Junagadh were cancelled.

Notably the South Gujarat and Saurashtra will go to polls in the first phase on December 9 and the last date for poll campaign there was December 7. The campaigning in these areas has to see a halt of sorts at the time it was at its peak.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election campaign rally scheduled to take place in Surat tomorrow has been cancelled.

DeshGujarat