Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's foot-in-mouth moment, when he referred to prime minister Narendra Modi as an 'opposition leader', has sent the party in a tizzy. However, senior party leaders confessed that even before he made the gaffe, they had planned to relegate the Gandhi scion to smaller cities and rural areas so as to avoid an 'embarrassing' situation that might put them on the back foot.

Sources say the state Congress deliberately keeps Rahul's rallies away from big cities. A top Congress leader told dna, "After prolonged discussion over Rahulji's schedule in Maharashtra, we concluded that his rallies may fetch a poor response in big cities like Mumbai and Nagpur. Leaders were of the view that the urban audience expect more from him. He is yet to strike a chord with young urban voters. Senior leaders were apprehensive that city residents may not turn up for Rahulji's roadshows owing to his poor oratory skills."

"After the comment he made, it seems that the Congress' strategy was justified," said an opposition leader.

The slim turnout at Rahul's rallies was widely discussed across the country and in the social media during the Lok Sabha polls. Many Congress candidates admitted privately that they were apprehensive about inviting Rahul to campaign in Mumbai.

Congress sources said though Rahul is second in command, but he lacks charisma. "Holding a rally in a city like Mumbai could have backfired instead of helping party candidates who are already fighting a tough battle after the Lok Sabha drubbing and the split with NCP. However, politics is entirely different in the rest of Maharashtra where the charisma of the Gandhi family still garners the vote."

The Gandhis are believed to be more popular among rural folks in Maharashtra. "People in rural areas, mainly the older generation are still infatuated by the Gandhi family. Bringing them to Rahul's rally is not so tough. You can't guarantee similar crowd in Mumbai," said a senior party functionary.

Rahul held two rallies in Maharashtra on Wednesday, one in Mahad constituency in Konkan, and another in Ausa, Latur district, where he campaigned for late Congress leader Vilasrao Deshmukh's son Amit. He is set to campaign in Nashik and Purandar (Pune) on Friday.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi will be campaigning in Maharashtra on Thursday. Sonia's rallies will be held in Kolhapur and Aurangabad. On Saturday, she will hold two rallies in Chandrapur and Gondia.