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Updated: Feb 14, 2019 08:34 IST

With just months to go for the Lok Sabha election, Congress president Rahul Gandhi will arrive in Rajasthan’s Ajmer on Thursday to address party workers in what is being seen as a move to enthuse the cadre already on a high after the recent win in state polls.

The ruling party in the state wants to reap the benefits of the pro-Congress mood in Rajasthan in the Lok Sabha election. The Congress party has not had this kind of success even when it has been in power. In 2009, Congress had won 20 seats. Rajasthan sends 25 MPs to the Lok Sabha.

Rahul Gandhi will address the All India Congress Seva Dal’s Maha Adhiveshan (grand meet) in Ajmer to pep up its ranks to go out in the field and campaign for the party

The Seva Dal is the grassroots front organisation of the Indian National Congress.

Seva Dal’s chief organiser Lalji Desai said the two-day grand meet is being organised after 30 years on February 13 and February 14. The last such meetings of the Seva Dal were held in 1958, 1961, 1983, 1984 and 1989.

A mega rally, to be addressed by Rahul Gandhi, on the last day will be one of the major highlights of the meet.

The Congress president’s visit to the state also comes a day after the state assembly passed the reservation bill promising 5% quota in government jobs and educational institutes after the community renewed their protests.

In the first crisis faced by the Congress government, protests by Gujjars had turned violent and trains were diverted as the community’s agitation spread to several parts of the state earlier this week.

A reservation was provided to Gujjars under the Special Backward Class category after similar agitations in 2007 and 2008 left dozens of people dead. The Rajasthan high court stayed the move saying it breached the 50% limit the Supreme Court has imposed on the reservation.

The Gujjar community resumed the agitation saying the limit has been breached with the Centre giving 10% reservation to economically backward sections in January.

A non-governmental organisation challenged the 10% reservation before the Supreme Court on January 10 saying it breaches the 50% cap.

The Rajasthan government has maintained that the Centre alone can provide the reservation under the Economically Backward Classes category to Gujjars.