Away from the campaign trail this poll season, Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday made an emotional appeal to the voters in Uttar Pradesh asking them to defeat the “forces” that deprived them of the benefits of welfare schemes and “snatched away” everything from them.

In a letter to the voters of Rae Bareli and Amethi, the Nehru-Gandhi family pocket boroughs, ahead of fourth phase polling on Thursday, Ms. Gandhi appealed to them to vote for the Congress and strengthen her hands to initiate development in the area.

She, however, did not talk of the Congress-Samajwadi Party alliance and sought support for only her party’s candidates.

Ms. Gandhi said that for some reasons, she could not canvass for Congress candidates in the area and asked the people to treat her letter as her personal message to them.

Noting that this election is very significant, the Congress president took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “achche din” promise, saying the Modi government has instead “snatched everything that the people had” and accused Mr. Modi of doing so to “save his own chair”.

She said the eyes of the entire country were on the electorate of Rae Bareli and Amethi, represented in the Lok Sabha by her and her son Rahul, and that they should vote for Congress candidates and help give support to her resolve and sentiment.

“For the first time I feel pained to learn that this present Central government is deliberately trying to deprive people of the benefits of welfare programme. Have you seen a government that works against and weaken its own people?

“Unfortunately, the Modi government is doing this only. These people are working only for a handful of people and benefit a select few industrialists, the cost of which every poor is giving,” she said in her letter.

Questioning the Prime Minister’s claim of ‘achhe din’ (good days), Ms. Gandhi attacked his government’s demonetisation decision that affected traders, youths, women, the middle class and minorities.

“These elections are very significant. In 2014, people of the country along with Uttar Pradesh gave a lot to these people. But, instead of bringing in ‘achche din’ (good days), the Modi government snatched all that you people had. They also snatched your land, your jobs and your hard-earned money. They can go to any extent to save their chair,” she said.

“It has been a matter of pride for me and my family to represent you. Rae Bareli and Amethi are a part of our life and existence. The credit goes to you for whatever we are today. I share a special bonding with you which is the asset of my life,” she said.