A day after the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Rahul Gandhi visited the Vasantdada Sugar Institute (VSI) at Manjri Budruk near Pune, the Gandhi scion on Wednesday paid a surprise visit to Kolhapur to understand the problems of the sugar sector.

His visit however left the local political leaders guessing. Congress leaders including MLC Mahadevrao Mahadik, MLAs PN Patil, Satej Patil and Malojiraje Chhatrapati rushed to the airport early in the morning after hearing the news of his unscheduled visit.

Rahul Gandhi straightaway drove down to Kagal taluka, located some 15 km from Kolhapur and visited the Shri Chhatrapati Shahu Co-operative Sugar Factory, which is considered to be the best managed cooperative sugar factory in the country.

Factory founder Vikramsinh Ghatge, managing director Vijay Autade, Samarjeetsinh Ghatge and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development former chairman Yashwantrao Thorat accompanied and briefed him on the functioning of the sugar factory.

He also visited the Jaysingrao Ghatge Vidyamandir on the factory premises, and chatted with the students for almost 20 minutes (see box).

There, Gandhi said that he had come to Kolhapur to understand the 'chini' business. "I was curious to know more about this sector. On Thorat's advice, I decided to visit this factory," he said.

While having his breakfast at the factory office, he asked various questions regarding the cooperative sugar industry, like the sugar lobby and the difference between the private and cooperative sugar factories. Vikramsinh Ghatge, who is the former chairman of Maharashtra State Cooperative Sugar Factories Federation, explained the cooperative set-up to Gandhi.

"The visit was apolitical. Gandhi wanted to understand the sugar industry, so he came to Kolhapur," Ghatge told reporters. Gandhi then visited the Ekondi village in Kagal taluka and held talks with senior citizens and women at the village temple. He wanted to know about per hectare production of cane, and how much return they get from farming. He met 70-year-old farmer Eknath Magdum whose 40-year-old son Sadanand had recently died.

Mohsin Mulla/ DNA-Daily News & Analysis Source: 3D Syndication