After success of their `padyatra’ in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee is now ready with over a fortnight plan to carry out similar exercise in other parts of the State in the coming month from December 9. The mega show would begin from Meerut and concluded with a massive display in state capital on December 31.
The Party leaders were also trying to get clearance of Vice-President, Rahul Gandhi as presence of the `Yuvraj’ like he did in Saharanpur would surely ensure much better crowd and attraction of the farmers, whose problems would be mainly raised along with that of rising prices, growing communal tension etc during the padyatras.
Sources in the Congress confirmed that boosted by the recent success in Bihar, the Party leaders had geared up to make their presence felt strongly in this biggest state of the country. They found that highlighting the farmers issue as well as the failure of the National Democratic Alliance government or the local Samajwadi Party government in fulfilling their poll promises, particularly rising prices of even essential commodities, would surely help the Party to win back trust of the public. Hence, they planned to at least take out one padyatra at every region, the first one which they already took out in Saharanpur on last Saturday in which Rahul himself walked for over 6 kilometres, hold chaupals with the farmers and the local people.
Sources further confirmed that Saharanpur, senior leaders would start their over three week long campaign against the Central as well as State government from Meerut on December 9. In this padyatra, Rahul might once again join the state leaders. later they would take out similar `padyatras’ one in each reason covering the entire Western, Central and Eastern UP districts. Sources said that on December 10, padyatra will be taken out in Muzaffarnagar, followed by Bareilly on December 14, Moradabad on December 15, Aligarh on December 16, Agra on December 17, Varanasi on December 21, Allahabad on December 22, Kanpur on December 23, Jhansi on December 24, Gorakhpur on December 29 and lastly a massive rally in lucknow on December 31.
While the problems of sugarcane growers would be on top in Western UP, Congress would raise non-distribution of compensation package to the farmers against their crops which had damaged due to incessant rains, or late drought like situation in the Eastern and Central part of the State including Bundelkhand region. Besides they would also highlight rising prices, communal tension and deteriorating law and order situation in the State.
It may be mentioned that last time also, Rahul Gandhi lead a march from Bhatta Parsaul to Aligarh to press the demand of bringing a legislation on land Acquisition Bill. later the Congress also passed it both the Houses of the Parliament and made an Act on land Acquisition. When National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government made amendment to the above Act and tried to get it passed in the Parliament, it was Rahul again who took the fight of the farmers and so far succeeding in stalling that Amended Bill.