It's election time in Gujarat and so the Congress plans to ride on the popularity of Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams during her week-long visit to the state beginning September 20 during which she is scheduled to visit her father’s native village of Jhulasan in Mehsana and attend several programmes at educational institutions.

During her record 195-day-long odyssey in space early this year, there were prayers across Gujarat in praise of the “daughter of the soil,” and the Congress wants to cash in. Several party leaders are expected to be present at prayers she will attend at Gandhi Ashram in Sabarmati on September 20.

Significantly, Williams will be escorted to the statue of her cousin and former Gujarat Home Minister, the late Haren Pandya, whose murder four years ago continues to haunt the Modi regime. Pandya was an arch rival of Modi and his relatives — as also Congressmen — have alleged a political conspiracy behind his murder.

Her visit has been organized by the National Federation of Indian-American Associations (NFIAA), a Washington-based federation representing about 400 NRI associations. In fact, its President-elect C K Patel met senior Congress leaders in New Delhi today and told The Indian Express: “We organised this homecoming for her because we represent the interest of India and the US and want to cement relations between the two. The Congress is helping us in whatever way we are asking, in planning and scheduling.” Denying any political angle to the visit, Patel said: “(The prayer ceremony at Gandhi Ashram) is a non-political function. If Modi wants to come, he can come and attend. Gujarat Governor Nawal Kishore Sharma is hosting a dinner for Sunita on September 23. I do not know if Modi will be there.” When contacted, the state government’s chief protocol officer, J L Patel, said: “She will be a state guest, she will be treated as a VVIP and will get a government vehicle with police escort. Her accommodation will be paid for by the government.” In the only official function being organized by the government, Modi will preside over Williams’s felicitation at Gujarat University. As for the Raj Bhavan dinner, Modi’s presence is yet to be confirmed.

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