A Rahul Gandhi flex outside Landmark hotel. (Pradip Sanyal) Rahul and Priyanka at Eden Gardens last April

Last April, when Rahul Gandhi was here for the Indian Premier League, he stayed in a suite of ITC The Sonar Calcutta, went to the Eden Gardens VIP enclosure, and mingled with film stars and cricket heroes.

This time, when Rahul Gandhi is here for the Indian Political League, he is staying in a public sector company’s guest house near the airport, spending time with state Congress workers, and having “high tea” at Landmark.

What’s that?

A little-known hotel on the Bypass — close to the Trinamul Congress party headquarters — where the 38-year-old Gandhi scion will be holding a press conference on Saturday morning.

Why there?

“Rahul Gandhi did not want to come into the city and inconvenience the people because of his security. So we looked for hotels on the Bypass. But there was no proper space for a press conference available at the five-star hotels. So we told the SPG (Special Protection Group) about Landmark and they agreed,” said Congress leader Manas Bhuniya.

Lalit Dinani, the hotel’s manager (operations), agreed that the location clinched Landmark’s grand date with a Gandhi. “The Pradesh Congress Committee liked this place. Everything was finalised on Thursday. He will be here for an hour on Saturday morning and we are making all the necessary arrangements,” he smiled.

On Friday evening, the two-year-old address owned by Raju Alimchandani of Astoria Hotel was busy decking up for its most high-profile guest yet — hosting MP Mohammad Salim and the “crew of President Pratibha Patil and Pranab Mukherjee” is the closest it has got to political stardom.

Rahul and Priyanka at Eden Gardens last April

The reception was undergoing a makeover and the 4,000 sq ft banquet on the first floor was being spruced up for the press conference.

There was a lot going on in Room no. 303, one of the better rooms among the 60 in the hotel. The 387 square feet room — Rs 5,500 (approx) per night — with two single beds, one cupboard, one recliner and a console set with mirror being kept ready for the Gandhi beta to take a breather was a far cry from the 1,000 square feet ITC suites down the road that come with king-sized beds and a daily tag of Rs 40,000-plus.

The somewhat unlikely destination for Rahul Gandhi was last in the news when its opening was delayed amidst allegations that the hotel at 36F Topsia Road had been built after filling up a waterbody. The hotel was allowed to open after a green signal from the court.