This is expected to be BJP’s big push to challenge the Congress in its backyard after Smriti Irani had been to... Read More

(This story originally appeared in on Apr 20, 2018)

Despite a hectic schedule due to the Karnataka election campaign, BJP president Amit Shah will be holding a massive rally in Rae Bareli on April 21, where BJP is expected to give out a war-cry of ‘Congress-Mukt Rae Bareli’, just days after Sonia Gandhi visited her constituency this week after a gap of nearly two years.

This is expected to be BJP’s big push to challenge the Congress in its backyard after Smriti Irani had been touring Amethi to take on Rahul Gandhi . In fact, both Rahul and Sonia Gandhi were in their respective constituencies this week, with this being Sonia’s first visit to Rae Bareli since June 2016 due to her ill health.

While Irani had visited Amethi just before the Congress president, Shah is going to Rae Bareli just after Sonia concluded her two-day visit on Thursday.

“We aim to snatch both these seats from the Congress. BJP will put up a strong candidate against Sonia in Rae Bareli in 2019 if she contests again – Congress better not take this seat for granted,” a senior BJP leader in UP told ET.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath, both the deputy CMs, state BJP head MN Pandey and many state ministers are expected to be present in the rally at Rae Bareli’s JIC grounds on Saturday where a crowd of over a lakh people is expected.

Sonia Gandhi, in her two-day-visit, is said to have taken a close look at the electoral situation and consulted leaders amidst talks that Congress MLC from Rae Bareli, Dinesh Singh, is tipped to join the BJP during Shah’s rally.

BJP leaders said Sonia’s absence from Rae Bareli for almost two years has led to disillusionment among local party leaders who plan to shift en masse to the BJP and rock the Congress boat.

In a sign of new political equations being formed hence, Sonia Gandhi visited the house of Samajwadi Party MLA from Uchahar seat in Rae Bareli, Manoj Pandey, on Thursday amidst talk of a Congress-SP-BSP understanding for the 2019 elections.

“SP has always helped Congress win Amethi and Rae Bareli seats with impressive margins,” an SP leader said on the meeting. Sonia, during her visit, expressed concern over funds to Rae Bareli being cut in various central and state schemes, and assured local leaders that she will raise the issue with the Centre. Sonia Gandhi increased her votes from 4.81 lakh in 2009 to 5.26 lakh in the 2014 elections on Rae Bareli seat.

