LS polls: Rahul Gandhi holds rally at Modi 'bastion', rakes up snoopgate
Varanasi/Chandauli: In a final push for Varanasi, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday entered the saffron party’s PM nominee Narendra Modi’s territory to drum up support for party candidate Ajai Rai, sandwiched between the BJP and the AAP.
The holy city, which has emerged as the epicentre of the 2014 electoral battle, has been witnessing a series of road shows over the last few days.
Returning the compliment to Mr Modi, who had campaigned against Mr Gandhi in Amethi earlier this week, the Congress vice president rolled out his journey from the Muslim-dominated Gol Gadda area with his party candidate Ajay Rai, waving to the cheering crowds covering a distance of 12 km in four hours.
The family members of late maestro Ustaad Bismillah Khan played shehnai during the road show. Earlier, the family had refused to become a proposer for Mr Modi when he had filed nomination for the Varanasi LS seat.
While the majority of Muslim votes seemed to be shifting towards the AAP, the Congress was pinning all its hopes on Mr Gandhi’s show to consolidate this vote bank in the party’s favour. Despite the surging crowd of Congress supporters waving tricolours, some felt the push could just be too little too late.
As one spoke to the locals in Pili Kothi, it was clear that the minority vote bank was clearly divided between the Congress and AAP.
Rahul's show of strength in Varanasi on the last day of campaigning, covered a distance longer than those taken by Modi and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, although in opposite direction.
He started from National Inter College and reached Lanka Gate after passing through busy areas like Maidagin, Beniabagh and Assi. He paid floral tributes at the statue of Madan Mohan Malviya at the BHU gate as the area was swarmed by Congress supporters.
"We are fighting to win. We are confident of out victory," said Ghulam Nabi Azad who has been camping in Varanasi.
Read: BJP attacks EC on Rahul Gandhi's roadshow in Varanasi
The family members of late maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan played shehnai during the roadshow. Earlier, the family had refused to become a proposer for Modi when he had filed nomination for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat on April 24.
A large posse of policemen surrounded Rahul's convoy as it moved with the flag-waving crowd in the streets of Varanasi. With the sun blazing down, Congress supporters, many of them wearing tricolour caps, shouted slogans.
Rahul's roadshow was allowed in Beniya Bagh, where Modi was refused permission by the Election Commission to hold rally due to security reasons, prompting an angry reaction from BJP.
Read: Arvind Kejriwal shows off strength in Varanasi
"It is blot on the electoral process where a PM candidate has not been allowed to hold rally in his constituency. Why were security reasons cited for Modi and not for the other leaders who are campaigning there?
"It is now clear that the permission was denied due to political reasons and not for security reasons," BJP leader Arun Jaitley said.
Kejriwal on Friday led a massive roadshow from Banaras Hindu University Gate in Lanka area to Town Hall in Maidagin area, while Modi had drove through with his motorcade from BHU to Sigra a day before.
Rai has also got support from Muslim strongman Mukhtar Ansari's Quami Ekta Dal, although the two leaders have a long history of rivalry and have long been known as sworn enemies. Raising the poll heat here, SP leader and Uttar Pradesh chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav also had one roadshow, while AAP leader Kumar Vishwas conducted one after Kejriwal's got cancelled.
Read: Rahul Gandhi's tit-for-tat campaign against Modi in Varanasi
Other Congress leaders present in roadshow included Madhusudan Mistry, Nagma, CP Joshi and Raj Babbar, as also Congress candidate from here Ajay Rai.
Later addressing a rally in the neighbouring constituency of Chandauli, Gandhi said Gandhi does not understand the strength of India and its people and practiced politics of anger.
