Modi, Rahul Gandhi gear up for rallies in Maharashtra

With the assembly elections campaigning in Maharashtra at its peak, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Congress President Rahul Gandhi are all set to address rallies in the state on Sunday.

Modi would be addressing a rally in Sakoli in Bhandara district, while Gandhi will address a meeting at Ausa in Latur district and then a couple of meetings in Mumbai.

From Sakoli, Parinay Fuke has been fielded by the BJP against Congress leader Nana Patole, Congress' Campaign Committee Chief in Maharashtra.

Patole, a former BJP MP, was the first to stage a revolt against Modi's style of functioning and agrarian distress and later joined the Congress. In the Lok Sabha polls, he had unsuccessfully contested against BJP leader Nitin Gadkari from Nagpur.

In Ausa, the BJP has fielded Abhimanyu Pawar, personal assistant to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis against Basavraj Patil, one of the working presidents of the MPCC.

Gandhi's visit to Latur is significant as late Congress leader Vilasrao Deshmukh's sons Amit and Dhiraj are contesting from Latur City and Latur Rural seats.