Rahul Gandhi eats dal-roti at night halt at farmer's house

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Dal, roti and vegetable with no chillies.

This simple fare was Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi's dinner at a farmer's house in Rampur Badli village in Greater Noida at the end of the first day of his padyatra in Uttar Pradesh Tuesday.

A weary-looking Gandhi opted for rotis over puris, when his host Vijaypal Sharma, a local farmer and Congress supporter, started serving the dinner.

The Congress leader, who walked 19 km Tuesday, was asked by Sharma's family members how he was feeling after a tiring schedule. To this he replied: "Thik-thak hain" (I am okay).

Gandhi also took quick bath on the terrace of the double-storey house before the dinner, said a Sharma family member.

After the bath, Gandhi slipped into a fresh pair of kurta-pyjama and joined his hosts for dinner. He was accompanied by a friend, who the villagers said was being addressed as Kanishka.

The Congress leader, who backed the India-US nuclear deal in parliament saying that the country needed more power, had a first-hand taste of the reality in rural areas when there was a power outage in the village.

The host and his family members swiftly arranged a genset to ensure the VIP guest was not put to discomfort.

After the hard day's work, the 41-year-old politician hit his bed on the terrace under the sky.

As per the Sharma family members and villagers, Gandhi plans to start his day early Wednesday and wants to resume his march around 5 a.m. He is scheduled to proceed to Jevar in Gautam Budh Nagar district.