ROSE-Y WELCOME FOR RAHUL
Congress V-P Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Vadra received a grand welcome in Amethi on Saturday. During his nomination procession, thousands of people lined up the 40-km route from Amhat airstrip to the collectorate in Gauriganj, showering about 300 kg rose petals on them.
AMETHI: The people of Gandhi citadel once again proved that they would stand solidly behind the ‘first family’ in its hour of crisis as on Saturday tens of thousands of them lined up the 40-km route from Amhat (Sultanpur) airstrip to the Colectorate in Gauriganj, showering about 300 kg rose petals and turning the mere nomination process into a victory procession.
“Rahul Gandhi zindabad” slogans drowned the blistering campaign that the two vociferous opponents -- Smriti Irani (BJP) and Kumar Vishwas (AAP) -have unleashed in the constituency, where non-Congress parties found it hard to find a party office or hoist their party flag till a few years back. Represented by the Gandhis since 1980, the voters here bask in the glory of being represented by a VVIP.
The entire family -- mother Sonia Gandhi, sister Priyanka, her husband Robert Vadra and their daughter Miraya – and family friend Captain Satish Sharma accompanied a smiling Rahul as he walked to the returning officer’s office from the Collectorate gate to file his nomination papers for his bastion Amethi, where the discussion revolves around the victory margin and not the victory per se, even while his party is going through tough times in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
During this walk Priyanka was seen briefing her daughter, probably about the nomination process. As Miraya, along with her brother Rehan, had campaigned for Rahul with some local kids during the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, many people were thrilled to see her again. “See, she is taller now,” said a woman as Miraya walked towards the Collectorate.
Earlier a ‘band’ joined Rahul’s procession as his cavalcade proceeded towards the Collectorate.
As the number of people on both sides of the road continued to swell, security personnel had a tough time jostling with the people. Despite the rising temperature, people waited on both the sides of road for nearly two hours for Rahul’s arrival. Many of them waived from rooftops or peeped out of windows of their houses when his cavalcade passed through the Gauriganj town.
Rahul and Priyanka, also waved back to the people, who shouted slogans in favour of Rahul and Priyanka. Both of them hurled garlands and flowers and shook hands with the people while sitting on the top of their vehicle.
Rahul is seeking his third term from here. Though the people here are frustrated over the poor pace of development, their emotional connect is too strong to break.
The Gandhi family members arrived in different aircraft and landed at different locations for security reasons. Sonia, Rahul and Captain Satish Sharma landed in a private chopper at Amhat (Sultanpur) while Priyanka, Robert and Miraya landed at Fursatganj (Amethi)
Rahul reached the Collectorate at about 1.45pm and filed four sets of nomination papers before the returning officer Jagat Raj.
Meanwhile, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called the BJP candidate Smriti Irani and AAP candidate Kumar Vishwas political tourists who will leaqve Amethi soon. Priyanka stated this in reply to a question from news channels here.