Rae Bareli Congress leaders set to join BJP in Amit Shah, Yogi’s presence
Lucknow, Apr 19: Congress stronghold in Rae Bareli is crumbling as some of its most senior leaders are set to join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a couple of days in Rae Bareli the traditional constituency of the Gandhi family since the days of Indira Gandhi.
Close on the heels of Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Amethi a couple of days ago, BJP national president Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are all set to visit Rae Bareli this weekend with a high-powered party delegation.
Both the BJP leaders are going to address the rally in Rae Bareli which is the constituency of Sonia Gandhi. UP Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma and many other ministers will attend the rally on Saturday.
Political observers feel that this is the most calculated move by the BJP leadership to rattle the Congress leadership which is already beleaguered by continuous defeats at the elections starting 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
Taking the advantage of the opportunity senior Congress leaders including MLC Dinesh Pratap Singh and his two brothers Rakesh and Awadhesh are joining the BJP. Rakesh is MLA from Rae Bareli’s Harchandpur assembly segment and Awadhesh is chairman of Rae Bareli Zilla Panchayat.
Dinesh and Rakesh have resigned from the Congress on April 10 obviously to facilitate their entry into the BJP.
Party insiders said the brothers have their own reasons for joining the BJP, one of which is the need to stave off a likely no-confidence motion against Awadesh.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders in the region painted the impending entry of the three Congress leaders as a political masterstroke. “The move will definitely give us a psychological edge ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections,” one of them said.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders in the region painted the impending entry of the three Congress leaders as a political masterstroke. “The move will definitely give us a psychological edge ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections,” one of them said.