Gandhi siblings'double impact/Aware that Sultanpur is predominantly an agrarians' district, Rahul didn't forget to mention the poor state of UP farmer

Gandhi siblings'double impact

TNN | Feb 13, 2012, 04.27AM IST



Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi during an election campaign in Sultanpur.

LUCKNOW/SULTANPUR: Desperate to resurrect the Congress in UP, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi stepped out of their traditional terrain of Amethi and Rae Bareli on Sunday. The siblings held a road show in Sultanpur, that covered a distance of 20 km and drew large crowds. The duo also stopped at two places to address the public.

The first stop was in the newly formed assembly constituency of Lambhua that falls in the main city. Rahul's rhetoric that the Central funds sent for welfare of UP's poor never reached the beneficiaries drew wide applause and garlands from the listeners. The Congress leaders wooed the locals by calling Sultanpur his second home. "Just like Rae Bareli and Amethi, Sultanpur too is my second home," he said.

Aware that Sultanpur is predominantly an agrarians' district, Rahul didn't forget to mention the poor state of UP farmers.

"You all work in fields and your hands get rough but when you raised these hands to ask for your right, you got bullets in return," he said amid a loud applause from the public. Rahul asked the farmers to stop clapping for him. "You all should not clap for anyone. Instead, the country should clap for you. I will clap for you," he added. Addressing the public, Priyanka said, "Elections are round the corner and it is time that you all should strengthen your hand (showing her palm -- the Congress's election symbol)." Raising the hands of Ram Shiromani - Congress candidate from Lambhua seat - she urged the people to vote for the Congress.

Waving to people, collecting garlands and taking brief halts to shake hands with the waiting people, the Gandhis stopped in the reserved constituency of Kadipur to address at a nukkad sabha. Kadipur is Sultanpur's biggest assembly segment.

The party has fielded Rajesh Kumar Gautam from here. Seeing a large assembly of women, Rahul said, "A woman told me that her land has been acquired by some builders without her consent. The builders told her to vacate the land immediately. When she requested the cops to at least let her reap the standing crop, the police didn't help. Instead, they set the crop on fire."

He quickly added that Congress was the only party sensitive towards the cause of women. To swing the votes in favour of the Congress Priyanka has been campaigning extensively in Amethi and Rae Bareli while Rahul is reaching out to every part of the state. Even Sonia Gandhi, despite being unwell, is addressing rallies in UP.

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