Rahul: War cry

Lucknow, July 27: A spell of rain followed Rahul Gandhi’s visit to his constituency this morning but the cool air and freshly wet earth could hardly dampen the tense political climate in Amethi and nearby.

The first-time Congress MP took his party’s ongoing battle against the Mulayam Singh Yadav government to the people by declaring: “There is no government in the state.”

“There seems to be no party in power as there is no governance, neither in Amethi nor in the state. There is only drama,” Rahul told reporters at the Munshiganj guesthouse after touring some of his constituency’s villages.

“But let us hope that this government will not last. In a democracy, only the people can throw a government out of power,” he added.

Turning to supporters of his party, Rahul then said: “So it now depends on how you would like to carry on this battle for change.”

Beginning today, Rahul’s seven-day Jansampark Abhiyan comes in the wake of a spate of violence in Amethi and Rae Bareli, and ahead of bypolls — expected late next month — to 12 Assembly and two parliamentary seats .

It also coincides with a wave of anger among Congress workers, many of whom flooded Rahul’s office at Munshiganj today with complaints against the district administration and police.

Urging party workers to stop shouting slogans in his favour, Rahul asked them “to listen to the people and understand their woes” as “there is no point in shouting slogans”.

“He would meet more affected people and understand their difficulties as he believes in a brand of politics that is not just rhetoric but meant to cater to the need of the people,” said Jagdish Piyus, a local Congress leader.

“He is here for seven days for a Jansampark Abhiyan. He may go outside Amethi also. Later, he will think about the party’s future strategy too,” party spokesperson Akhilesh Pratap Singh said.

Rahul’s visit is said to be politically significant as he is believed to be taking the Congress’ war of attrition with the ruling Samajwadi Party to the masses. “This is clearly a test case for Rahul Gandhi. He will try to use his charm to snatch at least half of the total bypoll seats,” a Congress insider said.

Rahul is also expected to meet Satyabrata Chaturvedi, who was recently put in charge of Uttar Pradesh affairs, in the next few days and chalk out a revamp strategy.

“We all informed him about the problem of irrigation water. He listened and left,” said Rajendra Shukla, one of the many farmers at a village in Fatehpur block of Amethi who told Rahul about their difficulties following a spell of drought.

The leader next visited Katora village where, too, he spoke to farmers. No state leader, including Uttar Pradesh unit chief Jagdambika Pal, was seen accompanying Rahul.

Only Chaturvedi went along to a few villages. He said in Lucknow that the Congress would not launch an all-out war against the government. “We might take the help of some like-minded organisations in the district to fight the Samajwadi Party.”