Jaitley to spend his MP fund on development of Sonia’s constituency

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will spend his MP area development funds on Rae Bareli, a move being seen as an attempt by the BJP to breach the Gandhi family bastion in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

'Representative' of Arun Jaitley and UP BJP spokesperson Hero Bajpai told PTI, "Almost a month back, Jaitley had chosen Rae Bareli district as a Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh. The backwardness of the district despite being represented by a prominent political family and the various demands which have been emanating from the district, prompted Jaitley ji to choose this."

Under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS), each MP has the choice to suggest to the district collector for works to the tune of Rs 5 crore per annum to be taken up in his/her constituency.

A Rajya Sabha MP can recommend works in one or more districts in the state from where he/she has been elected.

Bajpai said, "The Union finance minister may tour Rae Bareli in the first or second week of November."

However, Bajpai ruled out any possibility of an epic battle in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections between Sonia Gandhi and Arun Jaitley. "He (Jaitley) will not contest the Lok Sabha elections, but will strengthen the BJP in the Congress bastion," Jaitley's representative said, reports PTI.

The people in Rae Bareli have been demanding a stadium, a university, solar lights and solar energy-operated pumps in remote villages of the district, Bajpai said, and added that efforts would be made to fulfil all the incomplete works in the district so that people could heave a sigh of relief.