NEW DELHI: From Deoria in eastern Uttar Pradesh to Delhi, Congress vice- president Rahul Gandhi will be traversing as many as 233 Assembly constituencies to reach out to the people of Uttar Pardesh ahead of the crucial polls slated for early 2017.
Rahul’s programme which will begin from September 6, was announced by AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad. But the moot point on whether Rahul will skirt or visit Ayodhya was left open-ended. “You will know as the yatra progresses,’’ Azad said. On insistent probing, the party veteran said, “He would visit whatever places that would come in between and not create any controversy out of it.”
There’s also a buzz that the BJP may schedule a rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Amethi, Rahul’s parliamentary constituency. “How can anyone stop the Prime Minister from visiting any part of the country? Ours is a democracy, everyone has a right to go anywhere…. ’’ Azad quipped, when the question was popped.
The Congress vice-president will travel through 39 districts covering 2,500 km, during the 20-25-day-long Mahayatra. Though there won’t be any big public meeting, Rahul will address small rallies and road shows along the way. The issues to be raised are farmers’ plight, unemployment, rising prices and communal harmony for social and economic development.
Azad said that in 21 districts Rahul would have khaat sabhas also while there will be road shows in numerous large towns and cities. He claimed that Rahul’s interaction with party workers and Sonia’s roadshows have been successful so far.
The yatra was chalked out after Sonia Gandhi’s road show at Varanasi earlier this month. The state party leaders are undertaking a campaign in two directions and are said to be getting more than expected response. Reacting to Rahul’s programme, BJP spokesperson Shrikant Sharma said that the Congress was working to help the ruling Samajwadi Party dispenstion of the state. This is a way of cutting into the anti-incumbency vote, he said.
From Deoria in eastern Uttar Pradesh to Delhi, Congress vice- president Rahul Gandhi will be traversing as many as 233 Assembly constituencies to reach out to the people of Uttar Pardesh ahead of the crucial polls slated for early 2017.
Rahul’s programme which will begin from September 6, was announced by AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad. But the moot point on whether Rahul will skirt or visit Ayodhya was left open-ended. “You will know as the yatra progresses,’’ Azad said. On insistent probing, the party veteran said, “He would visit whatever places that would come in between and not create any controversy out of it.”
There’s also a buzz that the BJP may schedule a rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Amethi, Rahul’s parliamentary constituency. “How can anyone stop the Prime Minister from visiting any part of the country? Ours is a democracy, everyone has a right to go anywhere…. ’’ Azad quipped, when the question was popped.
The Congress vice-president will travel through 39 districts covering 2,500 km, during the 20-25-day-long Mahayatra. Though there won’t be any big public meeting, Rahul will address small rallies and road shows along the way. The issues to be raised are farmers’ plight, unemployment, rising prices and communal harmony for social and economic development.
Azad said that in 21 districts Rahul would have khaat sabhas also while there will be road shows in numerous large towns and cities. He claimed that Rahul’s interaction with party workers and Sonia’s roadshows have been successful so far.
The yatra was chalked out after Sonia Gandhi’s road show at Varanasi earlier this month. The state party leaders are undertaking a campaign in two directions and are said to be getting more than expected response. Reacting to Rahul’s programme, BJP spokesperson Shrikant Sharma said that the Congress was working to help the ruling Samajwadi Party dispenstion of the state. This is a way of cutting into the anti-incumbency vote, he said.