Will end dynastic rule, says Amit Shah in Sonia bastion
RAE BARELI: BJP chief Amit Shah on Saturday announced the launch of his most ambitious political project yet – Mission Rae Bareli.
From the Lok Sabha constituency of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Shah unveiled the BJP’s plan to launch a campaign to win Rae Bareli, similar in scale to the one launched in adjacent Amethi, the Lok Sabha constituency of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.
“We will end dynastic rule (‘parivarvaad’) in Rae Bareli and usher in vikasvaad (development),” Shah said adding that before his party comes to seek votes in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, it would present a ‘model Rae Bareli’ before voters to showcase its intent to transform the Congress bastion.
Shah’s ‘parivarvaad’ jibe has a context. Barring three exceptions - 1977, 1996 and 1998 - Rae Bareli has stood with the Congress since 1952 sending a generation of Nehru-Gandhi family from Feroze to Indira and Sonia to Lok Sabha. Taking on the Congress chief over his recent remark that ‘truth will catch up with Shah one day’ after the SC ruled against the need to probe Judge BH Loya’s death, the BJP chief said, “Modiji’s government stands for truth and justice. Today so many leaders of the Panchavati family (Rae Bareli MLC’s family) joined the BJP because the party stands for truth.” Soon after the SC decision on Judge Loya case, Gandhi had tweeted, “Indians are deeply intelligent. Most Indians, including those in the BJP instinctively understand the truth about Mr Amit Shah. The truth has its own way of catching up with people like him.” Shah used the Rae Bareli stage to respond to Gandhi. Raking up the recent acquittal of all the accused in the Mecca Masjid blast, Shah demanded an apology from Congress president over the Hindu terror remark by his party.
He also accused Gandhi of stooping too low for political gains.
Before Shah, chief minister Yogi Adityanath had accused the Congress of launching a sinister campaign against Shah.
Saturday’s rally was organised by MLC Dinesh Pratap Singh, who along with his brother Awadhesh, a zila panchayat chairman of Rae Bareli, joined the BJP before the event. They were in the Congress till a few days back.
“It was the biggest party rally in terms of numbers,” party leader Harish Chandra Srivastava claimed.
Dinesh’s other brother Rakesh Singh, the Congress MLA from Harchandpur assembly segment of Rae Bareli, however, didn’t join the BJP here, ostensibly to escape disqualification under the anti-defection act, BJP leaders indicated.
“The BJP is now sure to put up a strong candidate in Rae Bareli to rattle the Gandhis even further,” a BJP leader, who shared the dais with Shah, said.
Earlier a short circuit at the rally, close to the dais, created commotion and the rally had to be temporarily suspended.
However, the situation was quickly brought under control by the police and BJP volunteers. Soon after that chief minister launched an attack on the Congress.
“I was thinking of this short circuit and felt how the Congress has been behind most conspiracies, right from the one launched to defame Shah to the recent campaign after the court verdict on Judge Loya’s death,” Adityanath said.
Shah, however, saw a silver lining in the minor disruption in the rally caused by the short circuit.
“I guess there are obstacles ahead of all auspicious things. This is a good sign. Despite the short circuit the rally went on as scheduled,” Shah said.