"Ganga bridge, rail coach factory, AIIMS, NIFT... eight flyovers, modification of railway station" - Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra today read out a long list of projects completed by the Congress in her family bastion Rae Bareli, countering Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah's allegations that Gandhis ignored the constituency.
"I want to ask the Home Minister that what has the BJP done for Rae Bareli," was Ms Gandhi's poser right before she listed the projects, barely pausing to breathe.
"Congress gave Ganga bridge, a rail coach factory, AIIMS, NIFT, FDDI, a 4-lane from Lucknow to Raebareli, ring road, five National Highways, we opened a motor driving school, they closed it, we opened spice park, they closed it, eight flyovers, help through MPLADS during Covid pandemic, railway washing line, modification of railway stations, 10 railway underpass, road construction using central funds from Raebareli to Dalmau among others. What did they do for Raebareli," the Congress leader said.
Priyanka Gandhi's rebuttal was to five questions put to her by Mr Shah: "How many times in the past five years has Sonia Gandhi visited Raebareli? If she could not come, how many times did Rahul or Priyanka visit their family here?"
"The NTPC boiler burst and many people died but no one from the Gandhi family came here. There was a train accident in Bachhrawan but none of them came. People died when a boat capsized and then women were electrocuted. Five girls also died by drowning -- where were the Gandhis during these incidents? Dinesh Pratap Singh (BJP candidate) visited all the affected families," he charged.
The Home Minister Attacked former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, claiming she had spent 70 per cent of her MP fund on the vote bank.
The Congress and BJP have been crossing swords to wrest the prestige seats of Amethi and Rae Bareli.
Rahul Gandhi is Congress' candidate from Rae Bareli the seat held by his mother Sonia Gandhi for the last two decades. The 77-year-old Mrs Gandhi moved to Rajya Sabha in February citing "health and increasing age". While announcing her Lok Sabha-to-Rajya Sabha shift, she called on the people of Rae Bareli, a Congress stronghold previously held by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her husband Feroze Gandhi before her, to "be with my family".
Rahul Gandhi represented Amethi from 2004 until 2019 when he was defeated by Union Minister Smriti Irani. He is a sitting MP in Kerala's Wayanad, where he is seeking a fresh term alongside Rae Bareli. Kishori Lal Sharma, a close aide of the Gandhi family, has been fielded from the Amethi seat.
Rae Bareli will vote in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20.
