Without naming the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Aam Aadmi Party, she said the opposition parties were misleading the voters with their “big talk,” while the Congress believed in delivering on its promises.

Speaking at her first election rally at Lakhimpur in Assam, Ms. Gandhi said: “We do not make false promises. What we promise we deliver. The Congress believes in Har Haath Shakti, Har Haath Tarakki [power and progress to every hand].”

“People of the Northeast know real nationalism. Hope you will not be misled by those who are simply beating the drums of nationalism,” Ms. Gandhi said.

Raising the issue of nationalism again at her rally at Ajmal Khan Park in Delhi, she said: “Nationalism might be a slogan for others, but it runs in the blood of the Congress. Those who do not accept unity in diversity and secular values cannot claim to be nationalists.”

Attacking the AAP, Ms. Gandhi said: “There are people who think running a government is a child’s play. We have seen here how people ran away instead of running the government.” In a veiled attack on the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, she said: “For me, it’s more important to protect the Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb [a euphemism used in Varanasi to describe brotherhood among different religions] than going after power. But there are certain individual and organisations who want to take the country in the direction of doom. I have faith in the judgement of people, and even this time you won’t make a mistake in taking the right direction and support the Congress.”