Mumbai, Oct 10 (IANS) The Congress was committed to the development of Mumbai on a grand scale, including making it an international financial centre, party president Sonia Gandhi said here Saturday as she appealed to the people to vote for her party in Tuesday’s assembly polls.
“The party, in the state and at the centre, is determined to make Mumbai an international financial centre soon. Another international airport will also come up outside the city and there will be other major developmental projects,” she said at a massive election rally in the Bandra-Kurla Complex here.

All these developmental activities will be carried out with a humane face by taking care of all the people, especially the poor, who are affected by such projects, she added.

The government ensures that such people are first rehabilitated and compensated before the developmental works are taken up, she pointed out.

Lauding the legendary “spirit of Mumbai”, Gandhi said this was a great city that has always risen to all challenges before it and taken the lead in all spheres of life.

Mumbai has always attracted people from all over the country who come and settle here for a livelihood and contribute to its growth, she said.

“The people of the whole country consider Mumbai as their own city. So it pains when some people speak against them,” Gandhi said in a veiled attack on Raj Thackeray and his Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) that has been opposing non-Maharashtrians in the state.

In this context, Gandhi reminded the people that in the past over 100 years, the Congress has always built and united the country, and the party is concerned about bringing joy in the life of each and every person in the country.

She added that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and the Democratic Front government in the state had given an impetus to development and socio-economic progress with major schemes for all sections of society, including the farmers who benefited under the historic farm loan waivers.

Greeting the people of Mumbai and Maharashtra on the occasion of the upcoming Diwali festival, she urged them to come out in large numbers and vote for the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)-Republican Party of India (G) alliance during polling Oct 13.

Among those present at the rally were Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, state party chief Manikrao Thakre, city party chief Kripa Shankar Singh, central ministers Sushilkumar Shinde and Gurudas Kamat, NCP’s Praful Patel and several party candidates.

Earlier in the day, Gandhi addressed rallies in Nagpur. Campaigning ends Sunday evening.