Rahul believes UP is now ripe for a change and the results of Rae Bareli by-poll will have a ripple effect on his party's fortunes.
RAE BARELI: Viewed by his party as its future leader, the 36-year-old Rahul Gandhi is a happy man these days. He wears the look of a man who knows that all the hard work is about to pay off.
Amidst hectic last-minute campaigns, he finds time for a leisurely lunch in a mango orchard by the roadside and answers questions from the media that’s been trailing him.
Rahul believes Uttar Pradesh is now ripe for a change and the results of Rae Bareli by-elections will have a ripple effect on his party's fortunes.
Interacting with the media on Friday, the penultimate day of the campaign, in this dust bowl of a constituency, Rahul, initially sought to underplay the kind of bearing election results could have on his party and UP politics.
Rahul is also conscious that what has worked in Amethi and Rae Bareli may not work so readily in the rest of UP, given the role that caste and religion play in the state’s politics. "Caste is an important factor here, but not the most important factor. I firmly believe the way out is to concentrate on development and to ensure that it is distributed equitably," he says.
"There is so much potential here in the people. But it's all being wasted. I firmly believe that if given an opportunity they will do well," he says.
The ruling Samajwadi Party, meanwhile, is pulling all stops to make it difficult for Sonia Gandhi. Over two dozen ministers, nearly a dozen MPs and 25 MLAs have been deputed to the area.
The SP's visible presence in the constituency has grown manifold in the last few days as ministers make a beeline. Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav has addressed meetings, son Akhilesh Yadav, PWD Minister Sheopal Yadav, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Adam Khan also toured the area.
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