Rahul to begin poll campaign in UP from Nehru’s constituency

The inaugural programme,though larger in scale,will be the take-off point for the Congress campaign that would entail meeting people in small groups at various places across the state. The major rallies will be planned at a later stage.

Confirming the development,UP Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi told this newspaper over the phone that Gandhi would begin the “Vyapak Jan Sampark Abhiyaan” (massive mass contact programme) from Phulpur.

“It would not be a rally but the take-off point for the programme. From this point,he would hand over the baton,as it were,to the Congress ministers from the state and other senior leaders to go to different parts of the state and spread the party’s message,” said Joshi. The campaign has been designed to meet people in small groups and convince them about the party’s programme and vision.

Talking about the significance of the date and place,the state chief said that Phulpur was a “sacred” place for Congressmen as Pandit Nehru had begun his electoral innings in free India from the constituency. “We are fighting casteist and retrogressive forces. Pandit Nehru was a leading light of secularism and progressive mindedness.what better place than his constituency?” she said.

Sources pointed out the programme,though not planned strictly as a rally,will be mounted on a bigger scale than what “Jan Sampark Abhiyaan” may indicate. They added the state chief and other senior leaders in the state would be carefully monitoring the preparations. “In all likelihood,some of them will camp in Allahabad over the next few days to oversee the preparations,” said the source.

Gandhi,sources added,may also visit Anand Bhawan before beginning the Abhiyaan from Phulpur. However,Joshi said the main programme would be held in Phulpur only. “Gandhi’s association with Anand Bhawan is not only political but also significant from family point of view,” said the source.

In 1952,when the first election in independent India was held,Pandit Nehru had successfully contested from Phulpur. The current MP from Phulpur is Kapil Muni Karwariya from BSP.

After the launch of the campaign,other senior party leaders party would also begin their journeys from four different routes in the state.