LUCKNOW: Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, chaired a District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee meeting in Rae Bareli during a three-hour-long visit to his parliamentary constituency on Tuesday.
It marked Rahul Gandhi's third visit to Rae Bareli after being elected from the constituency in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. During the meeting, he was notably accompanied by several former Congress leaders who have now joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
These prominent figures included Dinesh Pratap Singh, a former Gandhi family loyalist and currently a minister in the Yogi Adityanath-led government, and Aditi Singh, the former Congress MLA for Rae Bareli Sadar, who is now a BJP MLA from the same seat.
Also present was Manoj Pandey, the Unchahar MLA, who had shifted allegiance from the Samajwadi Party (SP) to the BJP during the recent elections.
Rahul Gandhi, as the local MP, chaired the district development committee meeting, which is conducted on a quarterly basis to review progress and ensure coordination.
Earlier in the day, he visited the Shri Peepaleshwar Mahadevji Mandir and Hanuman Temple, where he had offered prayers during the Lok Sabha campaign.
The Congress MP also inaugurated the newly-constructed Shaheed Chowk and Degree College Chauraha in Rae Bareli.
Additionally, he inaugurated nine roads totalling 70.9 km, constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana, at a cost of Rs 5,400 crore.
Amethi MP KL Sharma was also present alongside Rahul Gandhi during these inaugurations.
Notably, Rahul Gandhi had secured a significant victory in the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency, defeating his BJP opponent Dinesh Pratap Singh by a margin of over 3.90 lakh votes.
Following his visit, the Congress MP expressed his gratitude to the people of Rae Bareli through a Facebook post, stating, "Rae Bareli has honoured me by electing me as their voice. I am always devoted to fulfilling their requirements, solving their woes, and ensuring their growth."