Jangipur, Anantnag:
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, currently in West Bengal for the party's election campaign, has attacked the Left parties in a strongly worded speech.
At a rally in Jangipur, she slammed the Left Front government saying the protectors of the poor are the ones who exploit them.
"The Left is the reason why so many poor are without jobs. This is utterly shameful. Even after ruling the state for more than 25 years they have still failed to ensure development," she said.
Another attraction of the rally was the presence of Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee who shared the dais with the Congress president after right years. They were at Jangipur campaigning for External Affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee.
The Congress and the Trinamool have an alliance in the West Bengal but had fallen apart in 2004, when Mamata joined the BJP-led NDA.
Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi is in Anantnag in jammu and Kashmir to address an election rally in support of the National Conference.
Elaborate security arrangements have been made in the region in view of the recent infiltration bids by militants to disrupt the polls.
"You have a young Prime Minister, youngest in the country. He will only think of long-term development. We think for the long road ahead. We want progress, education and employment here," Rahul said in his rally.
A complete shutdown is being observed in Anantnag in response to the strike call given by hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani against Gandhi's visit.