A ‘neglected neighbour’ of two VIP constituencies
Sandwiched between the two VIP constituencies of Amethi and Raebareli, represented in the Lok Sabha by Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi and AICC chief Sonia Gandhi, Sultanpur has remained a “neglected neighbour”.
Even when Amethi, which has now become a part of the newly created Chatrapati Shahuji Maharj district, was part of Sultanpur district, the Assembly segments out of the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency had not been given much attention.
In the previous Assembly polls in 2007, Congress drew a blank in the district. Of the five assembly seats, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had bagged three while the Samajwadi Party (SP) had won from the remaining two. In the 2007 Assembly polls, Congress had won six out of ten assembly seats in the twin Lok Sabha constituencies of Raebareli and Amethi.
Congress’ star campaigner Priyanka Gandhi has been sweating it out to make a clean sweep in there but Sultanpur does not appear to be her map.
“So far Priyanka has not addressed a single election meeting in any of the Assembly constituencies in Sultanpur,” says a local Congress leader. “No meeting for her has been scheduled in the district,” he adds.
“If Priyanka campaigns here, the Congress may open its account in the district this time,” they say. Although Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addressed an election rally in the town on Saturday, the party nominees here want meetings with Priyanka. The fight in the district is likely to be confined to the BSP and SP again, according to the locals.
