Hardoi:
Forget about treadmills, steppers and other fancy gym equipment, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi clearly believes in working out anywhere and anytime - even if it means squeezing in a 60-minute jog at midnight in Uttar Pradesh's Hardoi town.
Gandhi, who is on a two-day trip to Uttar Pradesh, put in packed day Monday, interacting with party workers, visiting the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) campus and conducting meetings. But come night at Hardoi, 110 km from here, and the need to workout kicked in.
"Rahulji jogged for nearly an hour Monday night at the ground of the police lines in Hardoi," Ajai Singh, the Hardoi Congress president, told reporters on Tuesday.
"We were surprised by his stamina... After interacting with party workers and concluding the meetings, it was at around 11.30 p.m. when Rahulji reached the police lines and started jogging. He took several rounds of the ground till 12.30 pm," Ajai Singh said over the phone.
Party officials added that Special Protection Group (SPG) personnel and the district police remained on their toes and did not allow anyone to enter the ground during the one hour that Gandhi was exercising.
Gandhi, who started the two-day tour Monday by visiting the AMU, toured a number of districts, including Lakhimpur Kheri and Sitapur to interact with party workers and the public.