Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi at the election rally.
At an election meeting in Delhi today, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi derided Prime Minister Narendra Modi for wearing "a 10-lakh suit" during his recent summit in Delhi with President Barack Obama.
The PM's dark-coloured suit had stripes that spelled out his name over and over, making it the focus of many media reports. Mr Obama was here for a three-day visit; he served as the Guest of Honour at Monday's Republic Day parade.
Delhi votes on February 7. Results will be declared three days later.
The PM's party, the BJP, is fielding former top cop Kiran Bedi as its chief ministerial candidate against Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aami Party. The Congress campaign is being led by Ajay Maken. In the last election in 2013, the Congress, which had governed the capital for 15 years, was decimated and placed third.
"India will decide what to do with Rahul Gandhi. The people didn't even give his party enough votes to claim the Leader of the Opposition post in parliament," said the BJP's Rajiv Pratap Rudy.
Mr Gandhi, who is the Vice-President of the Congress, accused the BJP of inciting communal riots for electoral advantage. "In the 15 years that Congress was in power in Delhi, not a single riot took place, "Mr Gandhi said. Senior leaders of his party are, however, being tried for alleged roles in the 1984 riots in Delhi in which thousands of Sikhs were killed.
The 44-year-old said the PM had vowed to recover hordes of black or undeclared money hidden by Indians in foreign bank accounts, depositing 15 lakhs for each poor Indian. "You have not got 15 lakhs, but he is wearing a 10-lakh suit," Mr Gandhi declared.
Among Mr Modi's failed commitments, Mr Gandhi said, are promises to create jobs and check inflation. "Instead, he gave you a broom," Mr Gandhi said, swiping at the PM's Clean India campaign, which has seen top BJP leaders like him cleaning parts of dirty streets.