Curtains came down on Tuesday evening on the month-long bitter campaign for the Gujarat Assembly elections with a press conference by Congress president-designate Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi creating a spectacle for the electronic media by riding a seaplane from the Sabarmati river and back.

Permissions for planned roadshows by both Modi and Gandhi in Ahmedabad were denied by police on security and traffic considerations. The second and final phase of polling is on Thursday.

Around the time Rahul Gandhi was to address his first press conference as his party’s president-elect, Modi drew large crowds at the Sabarmati riverfront from where the seaplane took off for Dharoi dam, about 150 kilometres northeast of the city.

Commentaries in the local electronic media, alongside visuals of Modi’s seaplane ride, claimed that the unique flight disproves opposition Congress narrative that Gujarat has not seen much development in the 22 years of the Bharatiya Janata Party rule.

Answering a question at the press conference, Gandhi called Modi’s seaplane ride as a “political distraction.” “Nothing wrong in a seaplane ride. It is, in fact, a good thing. But it’s a political distraction”, said Gandhi. “But the real question is what has the BJP done in 22 years,” he added.

Indicating signs of maturity, Rahul said in answer to another question: “Modiji is our political opponent, but he is also the Prime Minister of the country. He uses much foul language against me, but I will not use any bad language for him.”

On his task as the new president of the Congress, Gandhi said he would strengthen the party and try to change the nature of political discourse in the country. Congress ideology would be spread all over the country with love, he added.

Gandhi said it is for the first time that all communities like Patels, Dalits, shopkeepers, small traders, tribals and farmers are on the warpath against the BJP government in the state.

And, again for the first time, the Congress is contesting the Assembly elections in a focused and united manner, said the Congress leader.

But the BJP has constantly changed its election narrative from development to casteism, to Hindutva, to Pakistan and finally remarks on former prime minister Manmohan Singh.

“The way Narendra Modi has talked about Manmohan Singh, it is not acceptable. Meanwhile, I have made my position clear about Mani Shankar Aiyar’s comment. Modi is the Prime Minister of our country and it is not acceptable to talk about the PM like that,” Rahul added.