Preparing pitch

‘‘Rae Bareli mein kharab kanoon vyavastha se hum pareshan ho rahe hain (we are troubled by the poor law and order situation in Rae Bareli),” Rahul said. He added that this was a state subject and the Mulayam Singh government should look into it.

His attack came soon after state Congress leaders took their protest on the matter to the Governor. Later this week, Sonia Gandhi will visit Rae Bareli, where her election agent was shot at. The Congress chief is also expected to attack her ally in Parliament, who happens to be the party’s rival in the state.

But while the first salvos have been fired, the Congress is careful to avoid an all-out war with Mulayam, at least until its organisation gains more muscle in Uttar Pradesh. Asked about his party’s worsening relations with the Samajwadi Party, Rahul Gandhi said: ‘‘Senior leaders will decide on this.’’

While Rahul may not rate himself a senior leader, his effusive supporters had no doubts on where he was eventually headed. ‘‘Next, Best PM’’ read a number of banners at the Gandhi family bastion.

As he was weighed against ladoos, he quipped: ‘‘These laddoos have a weight of 80 kg and all of you should get some.’’ Then, he told his party workers the real work had just begun. To start with, he wanted them to ensure his constituents’ complaints were brought to his attention immediately.

‘‘I am getting a lot of complaints right now, but out of these only 20 per cent come from the people while 80 per cent are from party workers. Make that at least 50-50.’’

He added a complaint of his own against the Mulayam Singh government. He said it should do something about the faltering power supply that was hurting the people. But no one was in any doubt that this was more about a power struggle than power supply.