New Delhi, Oct 27 (IANS): The Congress is going to kickstart its campaign for Goa and Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls this weekend with senior leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra leading the charge.

Rahul Gandhi will be in Goa campaigning for the party, while Priyanka Gandhi will be holding her second rally in UP.

The Congress is gearing up for polls for five states and the party has started early in the states to galvanise the party cadre. The former Congress President will address party workers in Goa on October 30 and will launch the official campaign of the party.

The Congress in Goa has witnessed exodus of party leaders, as about 10 MLAs have crossed over to the BJP and recently former Chief Minister Luizinho Falerio joined Trinamool, further shrinking the strength of the party in the state.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, General Secretary of the party Incharge, UP will be addressing the rally in Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's home turf Gorakhpur on October 31.

The Congress leaders point out that the venue has been chosen to show that the Congress is ready to take on the BJP in the state. The rally comes days after the Congress announced 40 per cent reservation to women in tickets and also declared seven resolutions to be part of its manifesto. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on October 10 had kicked off her party's campaign for the upcoming UP Assembly elections by mounting a blistering attack on the ruling BJP.

Addressing the mammoth rally in Varanasi, Priyanka took on the Centre and State governments on the issue of farmers and injustice to the poor. "In the past two years, I have been working in UP. Two years ago, 13 adivasis were killed in a land dispute in Sonbhadra. Some leaders of the ruling BJP were involved and the people said that they had no hope for justice. I went there and each of the victims' families said that they wanted justice," she said.