Lucknow: Congress president Sonia Gandhi held a massive road show in Varanasi on Tuesday to launch the party’s campaign for the 2017 assembly elections.
Mrs Gandhi choosing Varanasi, which is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency, adds significance to the event. She had last visited the city in 2004. Varanasi is also considered to be the political hub of eastern UP.
In another politically significant move, Mrs Gandhi began her Varanasi visit by paying floral tributes to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in a city that is revered by all Hindus, particularly upper castes. She removed her footwear before she went up to offer floral tributes at the Ambedkar statue — an act reserved usually for deities.
Congress hopes to regain the Dalit and upper caste vote banks for a comeback in the 2017 assembly elections and her tributes to Ambedkar are a part of the Congress strategy.
Mrs Gandhi, however, was forced to cut short her visit to the holy city by about two hours due to ill health. She is said to be suffering from dehydration and high fever. Mrs Gandhi returned to Delhi without offering prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple and her address to the media was also cancelled.
Mrs Gandhi took a 55 minute break during the road show at Maldahiya and was given medical attention. Later, she moved to a vehicle with an open sunroof.
Earlier, the 8-km long road show from the Circuit House to the Englishiya Lane had thousands of supporters waving enthusiastically to the Congress president and chanting ‘Har Har Mahadev’.
The Congress president was showered with rose petals all through the route.
She came out of her vehicle several times to accept the greetings of the cheering supporters, including groups of Muslim women that came in large numbers.
