Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who along with his sister Priyanka Vadra is already on a visit to strengthen the Organisation in Amethi and Rae Bareli, had planned a massive rally in Aligarh and Rampur on coming October 9. The meeting which will be first in the State outside Rae Bareli and Amethi since Congress witnessed a humiliating defeat in last Assembly elections, is reportedly planned ahead of Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s proposed rally in Kanpur on October 9 to publicise the welfare programmes launched by Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in the Cent re particularly the land acquisition and food security bills.
The Congress youth scion will reportedly also blow the bigul for the Party’s campaign for coming Parliament elections. He will first address a public meeting in Aligarh and thereafter in Rampur on the same evening. State Congress president Nirmal Khatri announced the date of the first two public rallies of Rahul Gandhi on Monday afternoon and said similar rallies would be held in other parts of the state very soon. UP Congress Committee (UPCC) spokesperson Dijendra Tripathi in a statement here said that through these public meetings, the leaders will express their gratitude to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi for these Acts and would make aware the people about their benefits.
''The Food Security Act will benefit around 84 crore people of the country by giving them the right to food while amendment in the land Acquisition Act will protect the rights of farmers from giving up their lands to the builders or others,'' Tripathi said. Congress takes a lead in the announcement of the public meeting of Rahul Gandhi on October 9, when BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi will start his campaigning from Kanpur on October 19.
Meanwhile Rahul Gandhi held meeting with the newly constituted members of the Amethi Congress committee during a visit to his Parliamentary constituency on Monday. Rahul and Priyanka, who reached Munshiganj guest house from Fhursatganj airport had a long discussion with the district Congress office bearers at the guest house.
The discussion ranged from the preparation for the coming lok Sabha elections to the ongoing developmental works in the area.
After the meeting Rahul went to the residence of former Congress MlA Ram Sevak Dhobi at Jagdishpur. Both Rahul and Priyanka had cut short the visit by one day.
Earlier it was reported that Priyanka would be going to Rae Bareli to meet the district Congress committee members. But the programme was cancelled at last moment. Earlier, as Gandhi's cavalcade was moving towards
Munshiganj guest house he was stopped by a group of about 200 locals at Akelwa crossing who demanded railway halt, better roads and proper power supply in the area.
The lok Sabha MP asked his electorate to send a five-member delegation to the guest house for further discussion on their demands.