Rahul Gandhi likely to visit Rajasthan's Mangarh Dham today

Jaipur, Aug 9 (IANS) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit Mangarh Dham in Rajasthan's Banswara district on Wednesday to celebrate World Tribal Day, for which the place has been converted into a police cantonment.

The Gandhi scion's visit to Mangarh Dham assumes significance as it can impact outcome in more than 25 seats in poll-bound Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

State Cabinet minister Mahendrajit Singh Malviya said: "As Mangarh dham is a tribal area, Rahul Gandhi will be accorded a grand welcome in traditional costumes.

Rahul is scheduled to address a gathering in the nearby area which will be attended by Malviya, Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Arjun Singh Bamnia, Congress president Malikarjun Kharge and Congress leaders Govind Singh Dotasra and Sukhwinder Singh Randhawa. 

"We will demand that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot should provide funds of about Rs 100 crore for development of Mangarh Dham," he added.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi came here and we were expecting that he would declare Mangarh Dham as a national monument, but our hopes were dashed," Malviya said.