Rahul Gandhi Meets Farmers Ahead of Sunday's Mega Rally

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi made his first public appearance today after his 57-day sabbatical, meeting farmers' delegations ahead of Sunday's "Kisan Khet Mazdoor" rally in Delhi.

Half-a-dozen farmers' groups from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh attended the meet, which was held at his New Delhi residence. (See pictures)

The party is expected to take farmers on board regarding its plans to oppose the land acquisition bill, which the government wants to push through in the second half of Parliament's budget session that begins on Monday.

Earlier this month, the land acquisition ordinance was reissued after the government failed to pass a bill to replace it in Parliament.

A united opposition, led by the Congress, has called the proposed land law anti-farmer and the party plans to raise the pitch with tomorrow's farmers' rally -- which Mr Gandhi and his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi are expected to address.

"They are playing with people's lives... People are getting cheques of Rs.650 and Rs. 750 (as compensation for land)," said senior party leader Sachin Pilot.

The party indicated that Today's meeting was also an exercise to explore the problems farmers are facing - the key one being the crop loss following the unseasonal rains in March and April.

Sunday's rally, to be held at Delhi's Ramlila Grounds at 10.30 am, has been organised on a grand scale - the party says it expects around one lakh farmers to attend. Mr Pilot, who is also the chief of the party's Rajasthan unit, has booked a special 17-coach "Kissan (farmer) Express" from Jaipur to Delhi.

The rally is being seen as the comeback platform of the 44-year-old Congress vice president after his 57-day sabbatical - an opportunity for him to help resurrect the party's future after a series of poll debacles across the country.

"Rahul Gandhi will be able to reconnect with the farmers and emerge stronger from the sabbatical," said Mr Pilot.