Amethi is poorer than Purulia, CPI-M tells Rahul

The Communist Party of India-Marxist today hit back at Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi for calling Purulia in Left-ruled West Bengal as "most backward in the country".

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Thursday hit back at Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi for calling Purulia in Left-ruled West Bengal as "most backward in the country".

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"A comparison of the socio-economic indicators of Purulia with those in Rae Bareli and Amethi will tell the real story," CPI-M organ People's Democracy said in an editorial, referring to the Lok Sabha constituencies of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul in Uttar Pradesh.

"The number of people below the poverty line in Purulia is 31 per cent compared to 54 per cent in Rae Bareli and Amethi."

Likewise, it said, Purulia fared better than Amethi and Rae Bareli vis-a-vis families with electricity, per capita expenditure and vaccinated children.

Rahul Gandhi made the comment about Purulia during a recent visit to West Bengal where he declared that the Left Front would lose power in next year's assembly elections.