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Priyanka on Mission Rae Bareli, visits Amethi too
Priyanka, who worked as in charge of both the Lok Sabha constituencies till her entry into active politics in 2019, has the two constituencies on top of her agenda, as after winning Amethi the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is now making inroads in Rae Bareli too.
Lucknow: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who reached Rae Bareli on Sunday to meet party leaders and workers and get feedback about the 2022 poll preparations, remained focused on strengthening of the party organisation both in Rae Bareli and Amethi, that were once considered the party’s bastions in Uttar Pradesh.
Rae Bareli is the Lok Sabha seat of her mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Her brother Rahul Gandhi, who lost Amethi Lok Sabha seat to union minister Smriti Irani in 2019, is now an MP from Wayanad Lok Sabha seat of Kerala.
Priyanka, who worked as in charge of both the Lok Sabha constituencies till her entry into active politics in 2019, has the two constituencies on top of her agenda, as after winning Amethi the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is now making deep inroads in Rae Bareli too. Her visit to the two constituencies, however, comes after a long gap.
After a day-long interaction with party workers in Rae Bareli, she left for Amethi late in the evening. The Congress workers informed her about the activities they carried out in the past and proposed to do in future. Priyanka also visited the family that lost three children in a wall collapse in Dodarpur village in Tiloi area of Amethi and condoled the deaths.
“Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met party workers after her arrival in Rae Bareli on Sunday. She came to Rae Bareli after a long gap. Her last visit was in early 2020. Our party leaders have requested her to ensure that candidates are declared early on all the five assembly seats of Rae Bareli. She has assured to do so by later this month or early October. She has asked party workers for active participation in the party’s programmes, including the forthcoming Congress Pratigya Yatra,” said a senior Congress leader.
“Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met office- bearers of district and city units and the frontal organisations. She also met the party’s former MLAs and candidates in 2017 assembly elections, as two of the party’s MLAs from Rae Bareli are no more with the Congress,” said another party leader.
The Congress had won two of five assembly seats of Rae Bareli in 2017 assembly elections. Congress candidate Aditi Singh had won from Rae Bareli assembly seat while Rakesh Singh won Harchandpur assembly seat of Rae Bareli. Both Aditi Singh and Rakesh Singh have turned rebels and are considered close to the BJP. The Congress failed to win any assembly seat in Amethi in the 2017 assembly elections.
“Rae Bareli and Amethi have been priorities areas for the Congress as these constituencies have been the party’s bastions in the past. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should focus more on these constituencies instead of wasting time in areas where the Congress is weak or has no organisational structure,” said professor SK Dwivedi, former head of the department, political science, Lucknow University.
Earlier, after winding up her Lucknow visit, Priyanka left for Rae Bareli on Sunday morning and began by visiting the Hanuman temple at ‘Churwa’ on Lucknow-Rae Bareli road. She was accorded a grand welcome at Churwa and later at various points along her route.
