Varun praises Rahul’s Amethi, he says thanks

Rahul said, “What Varun is saying is right. I am happy other people are appreciating our work.”

Cousins Varun and Rahul Gandhi, on opposite sides of the political spectrum, have acknowledged each other, Varun praising Rahul’s work in Amethi and the latter pleased about it.

While addressing a group of teachers and representatives of NGOs Tuesday night, Varun, who is contesting from Sultanpur, which neighbours Amethi, mentioned how successfully self-help groups were running in “Rahul Gandhi’s Amethi”. It came a day after the BJP’s Amethi candidate, Smriti Irani, had criticised lack of development in Amethi and alleged that its people were being fooled.

Rahul, who was in Rae Bareli Wednesday accompanying his mother Sonia to the nomination office, said, “What Varun is saying is right. I am happy other people are appreciating our work.”

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Within an hour of this, Varun issued a statement: “My comment, last night, in a meeting with teachers and NGOs in response to being asked whether I knew about initiatives in Amethi was that although I had not seen the work done via self-help groups in Amethi, I had heard it was fairly decent, and that I would stress empowering people towards being self-reliant. It should not be seen as an endorsement of any political party or candidate.”

Sonia Gandhi got a grand welcome in Rae Bareli after she landed at Fursatganj airstrip along with Rahul Petals were showered by people, some even using electric pumps to do so. Before filing her nomination, she performed havan at the house of Congress leader Gaya Prasad Shukla and later met Muslim clerics at the Ali Mian dargah.

In her affidavit, she has valued her assets at Rs 9.28 crore, a sevenfold increase since 2009 (details below photo). “People of Rae Bareli have given me love in the past and will ensure my victory again” said Sonia.

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The Aam Aadmi Party Wednesday named Justice Fakhruddin, former judge in the MP and Chhattisgarh high courts, as its Rae Bareli candidate against Sonia. Justice Fakhruddin was elevated to the Madhya Pradesh bench in 1994 and transferred to Chhattisgarh HC in 2001.

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