Rahul kickstarts Sonia's Rae Bareli bypoll campaign

Rae Bareli, UP, Apr 25 (UNI) Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi today kickstarted the election campaign for his mother, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, in Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency.

Ms Gandhi, who resigned the Lower House seat following the office for profit controversy, is seeking re-election from here.

Polling is scheduled to be held on May 8.

Addressing a 'Chaupal Sabha' at Deenshahgaura here, Rahul, in his speech, observed that Rae Bareli had been a traditional stronghold of the Gandhi family, where his family members had always kept the interest of the people in mind.

Interacting with media persons, he rubbished allegations levelled by Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy about his mother.

''In the Rae Bareli bypoll, development is the only relevant issue,'' he said adding, opposition leaders had been levelling allegations against Congress and Sonia Gandhi, which made no difference.

On a question about BJP candidate Vinay Katiyar raising the issue of terrorism in the byelection, Rahul said it was irrelevant in this election.

Rahul was to address several similar chaupauls in Dalmau assembly segment of the constituency during the course of the day.

With trusted lieutenants from his Amethi constituency, he has chalked out a two-tier programme to garner a record number of votes for his mother.

''Before the D-Day, Rahul would cover all five assembly segments of Rae Bareli seat by either holding 'Chaupal Sabhas' or Jansampark (mini road show) programmes,'' a Congress leader said.

During Jansampark, he would meet people on the roadside. The young MP would also hold small meetings in the form of a village chaupal to interact with villagers and traditional Congress voters.

The focus of campaigning would largely concentrate on Sonia's work for the constituency before she resigned on March 23, her role in national politics and her ''sacrifices'' -- first when she refused to be the Prime Minister and second when she stepped down as Lok Sabha member and chairperson of National Advisory Council (NAC) after the office of profit controversy.

The Congress chief and her daughter Priyanka, meanwhile, would hit campaign trail in the first week of May, just before the bypoll.

Rahul's team for the bypoll comprises former MP and family confidant Capt Satish Sharma, Kishori Lal Sharma and another family friend and ex-Air Force official Manoj Mattu.

The Amethi MP has made each of his lieutenants in charge of the five assembly segments of the seat.

Interestingly, Sonia, who was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time from Amethi in 1999, had shifted to Rae Bareli in 2004.

Her son Rahul's maiden election victory was in Amethi, represented in the past by father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

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