After hectic campaigning by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for seeking support for her mother in her constituency Rae Bareli over the last few days, United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi joined her daughter in campaigning on Thursday.
While campaigning in Rae Bareli, Priyanka alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh had neglected Rae Bareli owing to political reasons.
“Welfare schemes of the government were not implemented in Rae Bareli merely because it is the citadel of the top Congress leader,” Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said.
The Congress’ east UP in-charge also said that farmers, women and youths had been given nothing by the BJP government and their future had been shattered.
Replying to allegations of BJP candidate from Amethi, Smriti Irani, that she had not stopped children for raising anti-Modi slogans, Priyanka said, “I stopped the children from saying slogans which I think were not correct about the Prime Minister. The BJP edited the tape conveniently and removed the parts where I was stopping them from making allegations. What they (the BJP) do is that they twist the truth. What I do is I speak the truth.”
The Congress leader also clarified, “I have not said I am fielding weak candidates. The Congress is fighting this election on its own. I would rather die than benefit the BJP. We have chosen candidates who are either fighting strongly or denting BJP votes.”
For the last three days, Priyanka has been campaigning in Amethi and Rae Bareli and on Thursday she focused on her mother’s constituency Rae Bareli.
Earlier, talking to reporters on the sidelines of her street corner meetings in Unchahar and Jagatpur, Priyanka reiterated that the Congress was the only party in the country which was fighting against the BJP.
“Our ideology and that of the BJP are different and we will continue to fight against each other. We have ensured that our candidates are strong and will not benefit the BJP at any cost,” she said.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Sonia Gandhi reached the region and started her campaign from her son Rahul’s constituency Amethi by holding meeting with party workers at Khalispur. Later she left for Rae Bareli to join daughter Priyanka in the campaigning.
While campaigning in a hamlet of snake charmers on Thursday, Priyanka tried playing with poisonous snakes. Perching herself on a tool, the Congress leader spoke to the inhabitants and expressed interest in knowing about the breed and other details of serpents and also local problems.
She later took out reptiles from a basket and handled a King Cobra. “Don’t be afraid, it won’t bite you,” she told media persons and a congregation present there.
Priyanka seemed miffed with BJP candidate from Rae Bareli, Dinesh Pratap Singh. “He was the person, who used to touch my feet, saying that he will be always with us. But now, he is contesting against my mother, which exposes his personality,” she said.
Still a Congress MLC, Dinesh Pratap Singh joined the BJP six months back and has been fielded by the party against Sonia Gandhi.
Singh’s brother is a Congress MLA from Harchandpur Assembly constituency in of Rae Bareli, while another brother is chairman of district panchayat.