Rahul to accompany Sonia to Rae Bareli tomorrow

Lucknow, Mar 27 (UNI) Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi is likely to accompany his mother and AICC president Sonia Gandhi to Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, where she will address a rally in which she is expected to announce here decision to countest the bypoll.

Sources in the state security heirarchy told UNI that Rahul was likely to accompany the Congress chief. ''It is possible that Rahul also visits the Bhargavas' residence to pay condolences on Mehar Bhargava's death,'' said an oficial.

The Congress president, who is visiting her constituency for the first time after resigning from the Lok Sabha last week, will address a public meeting at the Government Inter College ground in the afternoon to ''thank people for their support.'' Before reaching Rae Bareli by road from Amausi Airport here, she is expected to interact with people at Mohanlalganj at the Lucknow-Rae Bareli border. ''She might make a couple of impromptu stopovers enroute,'' said a Congress leader.

Her aide K L Sharma said in Rae Bareli a new slogan 'Soniaji ki pehchan, tyag, tapasya aur balidan' (Sonia's symbol: renunciation, hard work and sacrifice) would mark her one-day visit.

At the Rae Bareli district Congress committee meeting on Saturday.

a resolution, moved by former Congress MLA Indresh Vikram Singh urging the Election Commission to hold byelections to Rae Bareli parliamentary constituency at the earliest, was passed unanimously.

Meanwhile, the popular mood in the constituency is upbeat and there is great public support for the Congress president after her announcement to re-contest the LS election from Rae Bareli.

The youngsters -- who have become new voters -- are especially excited over the forthcoming bypoll as they would get an opportunity to exercise their franchise.

Like the late former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Sonia's name has become synonimous with development in the constituency.

Old-timers claim that the process of development here came to a standstill after the Congress was voted out of power at the Centre and UP.

Her regular visits to the constituency and keen interest in its development generated an industrial climate that saw a number of new units in the private sector sprouting in Rae Bareli.

UNI NAB VS VD RS2054