LUCKNOW: Reports from the ongoing brainstorming session of the Congress party at Jaipur - aptly named Chintan shivir- suggesting that Rahul Gandhi is set is to play a bigger role as the party's vice president, have given a new perspective to the frequent visits of Rahul Gandhi and his sister PriyankaVadra to Amethi and Rae Bareli in recent months.
Rahul Gandhi was in Rae Bareli on January 14 for a day, while Priyanka was there for a day's visit on January 18. Both, however, did not have any serious agenda for their visits, except meeting people, groups of women, farmers and Congress supporters.
What has stood out from the two leaders' visits is the fact that while they would like to explore the extent of popular support among the people for the Congress, the people are keen on getting answers from them for recent disturbing questions.
Rahul's visit was marked by the incident of a group of youth and ex-servicemen stopping him and demanding that the government take steps to bring back the head of slain soldier Hemraj Singh.
Similarly, Priyanka on her day-long visit to Rae Bareli had to face some uncomfortable questions on women's security from a group of college girls. The girls stopped her car near the Civil Lines locality and asked her what the government was doing for women's security.
The two incidents reflect the growing uneasiness among the people over the government's political response to the recent developments involving women's security as well as the situation on the India-Pakistan border.
Since taking charge of the constituency, Priyanka has been visiting Rae Bareli at regular intervals and has been meeting people and party workers. Although the Congress bagged 21 seats in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, it's performance was very poor in last year's Assembly elections, and it could secure only 29 seats. The defeat in Rae Bareli and Amethi was most humiliating for the party.
The increased frequency of the visit of the members of Gandhi-Nehru family to their Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh is an indication that they are trying hard to prevent any further erosion of the party's support base. If Varun Gandhi - Rahul's cousin -decides to contest from the adjoining constituency of Sultanpur, then the cause of worry for the Congress could become deeper.
Congress Jaipur meet: Questions from Amethi and Rae Bareli
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Congress Jaipur meet: Questions from Amethi and Rae Bareli
