Cong candidate

failed to reach a consensus on the route. For the record, the reasons were logistics — from not getting permission for the route to security considerations. But sources confirm that key to the cancellation was, most probably, the CM’S reluctance to campaign in favour of Rai in Pindra.

Result: Congress Vice-president Rahul Gandhi has decided to go it alone and address a public meeting in favour of Ajay Rai at National Inter College ground in Pindra on March 2. After this public meeting, both leaders are expected to hold a joint show on March 4 and sources said that, as per the present plan, Pindra is not likely to be part of this show.

Of the eight Assembly seats in Varanasi, Congress and SP are contesting four seats each and with Prime Minister Narendra Modi being top of the target of both Rahul and Akhilesh, this joint show in Varanasi is significant for both. Apart from Pindra, Congress is also contesting Varanasi South from where former MP Rajesh Mishra is the candidate; Varanasi Cantonment where Anil Srivastava is contesting the election and in Varanasi north, former SP MLA Abdul Samad Ansari is contesting as the Congress candidate. He is referred as “SP candidate on Congress ticket” in the region.

The first Akhilesh-rahul joint road show was planned for February 11 but failure to get permission for the route was cited as the reason for cancellation. Then next joint show was planned this Monday i.e. February 27 but both leaders preferred to be in Gorakhpur where the election is in sixth phase today rather than Varanasi.

“We do not know why it was cancelled. Both the leaders are travelling across the state so there might be some clash of schedule but these things are best known to them.” said Prajanath Sharma, District President of Congress in Varanasi. He said that he was busy with preparations for Rahul’s public meeting on March 2 but was not sure about the March 4 joint meeting.

Samajwadi Party District President Piyush Yadav also expressed ignorance over the exact reason for the cancellation. “There are various factors involved considering the security of the leaders including their availability as well as routes but we are not directly involved in them,” he said.