Ahmedabad: All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and incharge of Gujarat Congress affairs Kamal Nath will kick off party's election campaign for the December 12 hustings by addressing a public rally at Anand town after paying floral tributes to national leader Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at his birthplace Karamsad on November 11.

Talking to reporters, state Congress president Shankersinh Vaghela said, "We will first land in Karamsad tomorrow and after paying floral tributes to the national leader, proceed for Anand to address the public gathering."

To a question regarding Congress president Sonia Gandhi's absence at the kick-off, Vaghela told reporters that, "Gandhi was never scheduled to address a rally in Karamsad but will address nine election meetings in Gujarat."

Earlier, AICC sources in New Delhi said Gandhi was likely to launch the party's election campaign on November 11 from Karamsad.

In reply to a question whether the kick off venue was changed to Anand, Vaghela said, "Karamsad is only a concept undertaken by the party" adding, "It is a small town and it is not possible to accommodate a huge crowd. Therefore the public rally will be addressed at Shastri Maidan in Anand, only five km away."

Interestingly, the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had commenced its "election campaign" through Chief Minister Narendra Modi's "Gujarat Gaurav Yatra" from the birthplace of Patel last month.

Other Congress leaders including Suresh Pachauri, Anand Sharma and state leaders Amarsinh Chaudhary, Shankersinh Vaghela will be present at the launch.

PTI