Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's poll campaign on Monday sparked a war of words, some of them inspired by the Bollywood, with the BJP — between Gujarat to Delhi. Addressing a rally in Gandhinagar, Rahul said, "Do Hazar Satrah, BJP Ko Khatra (2017 is dangerous for BJP)." He also said GST was like "Gabbar Singh Tax".

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In Delhi, BJP leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad described Rahul's party as "Dramebaaz Party Number One". Another Union Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, said Rahul is a "frustrated" man.

Rahul's rally was held as OBC-SC-ST Ekta Manch and Thakor Sena leader Alpesh Thakor joined the Congress. Rahul said the BJP has tried to muzzle the voice of youth of Gujarat.

"PM Modi does his Mann ki Baat but I am here to listen to the voice of youth of Gujarat," he said.

Prasad said in Delhi that If Rahul had done his homework right, he could have saved the Congress all the drama in announcing that it has found a leader in Gujarat, where elections are due in December.

Meanwhile, Patidar leader Dinesh Patel said Rahul Gandhi will meet with Hardik Patel in November, and did not meet him today as has been reported. Eyeing Patidar votes, the Congress is trying to get support from their leaders to counter the BJP in Gujarat, where it has been in power since 1995.

Earlier, Hardik had turned down the Congress' invitation to fight the Gujarat Assembly election jointly, saying the polls were not a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Congress fight.

Meanwhile, Nikhil Sawani, who resigned from BJP, met Rahul and discussed ways to provide justice to the Patidar community and support for their agitation in Gujarat.

Gujarat's battle is a high-stake one. Narendra Modi returned from Delhi to his home state in 2001 to become CM, a post he held till he swept the general elections in 2014. As Prime Minister, he has made multiple visits to his poll-bound home state in recent months to make scathing attacks on the Congress, desperate to return to power after 22 years.

(With agency inputs)