Three days after the voting percentage disappointed the Congress in Amethi, party chief Sonia Gandhi on Saturday came to her citadel in Rae Bareli and asked people to turn out in large numbers next week.
In her first visit to her constituency after filing nominations, she told an election rally: "Our family shares a five-generation relation with Rae Bareli. This is not my 'karmabhoomi', but my home. I seek your support and ask you to walk along with me for the prosperity of the region.
"Main aapke pyaar aur samarthan ki karzdaar hoon (I am indebted to you for your love and support," she added. She urged voters to come out in huge numbers to exercise the basic right in the third round of Lok Sabha polls.
Last Thursday, the Congress bastion of Amethi went to the polls with Sonia Gandhi's son and MP Rahul Gandhi as the party candidate. But the voter turnout there declined by four percent compared to the 2004 polls.
Sonia Gandhi asked for people's support for the region's development. "You are a witness to the developmental projects, be it factories or technical and professional institutions that have come up in Rae Bareli. We will have similar projects in future also," she said.
{{/usCountry}}Sonia Gandhi asked for people's support for the region's development. "You are a witness to the developmental projects, be it factories or technical and professional institutions that have come up in Rae Bareli. We will have similar projects in future also," she said.
{{/usCountry}}She accused the opposition of putting hurdles in the implementation of the government welfare schemes. And she described the Congress party as "not an organisation but a tradition that believes in the unity and development of the nation".