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Congress keeping close watch on BJP moves in Amethi and Rae Bareli

Hindustan Times, Lucknow | By
Nov 16, 2018 12:40 PM IST

After sending about 10,000 saris to Amethi on Diwali early this month, union minister for textiles Smriti Irani is planning to visit Amethi along with some ministers of Yogi Adityanath government to launch some development programmes in the constituency

Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress is keeping a close watch on the stepped-up activities of the BJP in the party’s bastions of Amethi and Rae Bareli.

As Congress president Rahul Gandhi represents Amethi in Lok Sabha and his mother and former party president leader Sonia Gandhi is MP from Rae Bareli, the BJP has been making consistent moves to reach out to the people there.

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After sending about 10,000 saris to Amethi on Diwali early this month, union minister for textiles Smriti Irani is planning to visit Amethi along with some ministers of Yogi Adityanath government to launch some development programmes in the constituency.

Though Irani has been visiting Amethi after losing the 2014 Lok Sabha election from the seat, Congress leaders say she was not concerned about welfare of the people and is instead visiting the Lok Sabha seat to get attention. “Irani does not get any attention elsewhere and gets focus only in Amethi. She does not visit the constituency out of concern for the people. She visits the region under pressure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We are not bothered about her visits to Amethi,” said Amethi District Congress Committee (DCC) president Yogendra Mishra.

Amethi BJP leader Uma Shankar Pandey, however, countered the accusations against Irani. “Irani is not Amethi MP. She has been visiting the constituency out of concern for the people. People are upset with the Congress as the party has not been able to bring about any development in Amethi,” said Pandey.

The Congress has also accused the BJP turncoats of resorting to poster war against Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Rae Bareli. BJP chief Amit Shah had addressed a rally in the constituency on April 21, 2018 and called upon the people for ‘vikasvad’ (development) by ending the ‘parivarvaad’ (dynastic rule) in the constituency. Congress MLC Dinesh Pratap Singh along with his family members had joined the BJP at Shah’s rally. The party also recently announced that Union minister Arun Jaitley’s MP Local Area Development (MPLAD) fund will be spent in Rae Bareli.

Congress MLC Deepak Singh, however, says the BJP’s tactics would not have any impact in Amethi and Rae Bareli as both Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi have a close touch with the people of two constituencies. Singh said the Congress president may visit his constituency after the ongoing assembly elections in five states.

There are indications that Rahul along with Sonia Gandhi will also spend some time in Rae Bareli. “Irani had to send 10,000 saris for distribution among the BJP workers to keep them happy. The people of Amethi do not take note of her visits to the constituency. Similarly the people of Rae Bareli remain unaffected by the BJP’s moves,” says Singh.

Asked about protests organized by the BJP during Rahul Gandhi’s visit to the region, Singh says his party is not worried about the visits of BJP leaders. “We will, however, keep a close watch and counter the BJP’s moves if attempts are made to hold protests during the visits of Congress leaders to their constituencies,” said Singh.

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