Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday inaugurated the rail coach factory in her home constituency of Rae Bareli. But even as she launched her pet project, the Congress chief displayed remarkable restraint by refusing to say anything against the ruling SP Government.
Apparently, Sonia’s refusal to target the state government may have been prompted by SP chief Mulayam Singh’s decision not to field a candidate against her in Rae Bareli.
Earlier, the Congress president had been forced to rail against the state’s erstwhile Mayawati-led BSP Government to secure the land needed for the project.
And at one stage, Sonia had declared that if the need arose, she would launch an agitation and would not even hesitate to go to jail.
Subsequently, the then Chief Minister Mayawati realised that by stalling the project she was being seen as anti-development. Following this, the land for the project was handed over to the Railways for building the factory. Meanwhile, Sonia, who addressed the gathering during the project’s inauguration at Lalganj on Wednesday, also promised more developmental projects for the area.
She said the Congress had been committed to the development of the region for long and she would continue to serve the region in the future as well.
Sonia also handed over the appointment letters to the 16 persons whose land had been acquired for the project.
The Congress chief would remain in her constituency until Thursday when her daughter Priyanka and son Rahul-- who represents the neighbouring Amethi LS seat--are expected to join her.
It is believed that the Congress first family’s visit to its traditional pocketborough is meant to consolidate its position there, after the party candidates lost from the two seats in this year’s UP Assembly polls.