Rahul Beats The Drum Of Unity

IMAGE: People wait anxiously for Rahul to arrive. All Photographs: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

IMAGE: Busts of Basaveshwara -- also known as Basavanna, the 12th-century statesman, philosopher, poet, Lingayat social reformer -- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, Mahatma Jotiba Phule, Annabhau Sathe, a folk singer very popular during the Samyukta Maharashtra movement ,and Ahilyabai Holkar are placed at the venue of the rally.

IMAGE: Large cut-outs of former Maharashtra chief minister Shankarrao Bhavrao Chavan, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, Rahul and former chief minister and S B Chavan's son Ashok Chavan don the venue.

IMAGE: People throng the venue of the meeting.

IMAGE: Congress leaders Digvijay Singh and Jairam Ramesh on stage.

IMAGE: Nana Patole, president, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, Rahul and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.

IMAGE: Ashok Chavan, Rahul and Kharge.

IMAGE: Kharge and Rahul.

IMAGE: Kharge, Kumar Ketkar, the distinguished journalist and Rajya Sabha MP, and Rahul try their hands at playing the drum.

IMAGE: Nana Patole presents a statue of Shivaji Maharaj to Kharge.

IMAGE: Supriya Sule, the Nationalist Congress Party MP from Baramati, presents idols of Lord Vitthal and Rukmini to Rahul.
Supriya, state NCP President Jayant Patil, right, and NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad represented their party at the rally.
Rahul is seen wearing a traditional dhangar community shawl and holding a lathi.

IMAGE: Awhad presents a copy of the Constituion to Rahul.

IMAGE: Rahul looks at the copy of the Constitution presented by Awhad.

IMAGE: Ashok Chavan presents a picture of himself with Rahul's father, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

IMAGE: Kharge speaks at the rally while Supriya and Rahul can be seen in animated conversation.

IMAGE: Rahul speaks at the rally.