Bhubaneswar, Feb. 17: Congress has geared up to welcome the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who is arriving in the state tomorrow.

To strengthen the organisational base of the party in the state, Rahul will launch his drive from Sambalpur.

Despite the sudden change in weather, hundreds of Congress workers are expected to turn up for party workers’ meet in the town.

Sambalpur MP Amar Pradhan said: “The Congress workers are excited about Rahulji’s visit to Sambalpur. The preparations are complete.”

Rahul, who is coming on a two-day visit to the state, is scheduled to reach Sambalpur at 9.25am tomorrow. He will then go to the venue of the workers’ meet at Bhalupalli to interact with the party workers, including office-bearers.

Sambalpur district unit president Raj Kishore Das said: “After interacting with the office-bearers, including the presidents of the different wings of the party, Rahul will talk to the people’s representatives, including sarpanches and municipal councillors, in the evening.”

After a night’s halt at the Sambalpur circuit house, he will meet Congress workers and party functionaries in Cuttack before leaving for New Delhi on Tuesday.

While Rahul will interact with the presidents of 17 organisational districts in Sambalpur, he will communicate with presidents of the other organisational districts in Cuttack.

However, he will not address any public meeting during his visit.

The BJD and BJP reacted sharply to Rahul's visit to Odisha.

BJD vice-president and minister Damodar Rout said: “Rahul’s visit will have no impact on the people as they know who are responsible for the poverty and hunger of Odisha.”

BJP MLA from Sambalpur, Jaynarayan Mishra, said: “The Congress boss is coming. They are bound to praise him.”

Keeping the security threat in mind, Sambalpur SP Nikhil Kanodia said: “We have tightened security as a large number of people will turn up for the meet.”