Lok Sabha Election 2019: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra pulls crowds in PM Narendra Modi's Varanasi

Trying to keep Congress in some reckoning in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency, Congress general secretary, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra conducted an impressive road show in the heart of Varanasi on Wednesday.

After raising speculation that Priyanka Gandhi could be a joint opposition candidate against PM Modi, the Congress had decided against fielding her and chose veteran Ajay Rai who had come a distant third in 2014 with only 70k odd votes.

In the absence of a credible big face, Varanasi is being considered as a cakewalk for PM Modi who had trounced Arvind Kejriwal by over 3.5 lakh votes after a high voltage campaign in 2014 LS polls.

Accompanying Ajay Rai, Priyanka Gandhi began her five kilometre road show by garlanding the statue of Madan Mohan Malviya at the gates of the Banaras Hindu University. Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel who trounced BJP in recent assembly elections, also accompanied Priyanka Gandhi.

Gifted with the ability to attract large crowds, Priyanka's road show helped the local Congress unit to show some strength on the ground as roads with packed crowd waved back at her. Her road show came nearly three weeks after Modi road show that he had undertaken a day before filing his nomination papers. The local unit of the Congress had made elaborate arrangements to pull in the crowds for the roadshow, a party leader said.

Priyanka also offered offer prayer, first at the Kashi Vishwanath temple and then at the Kaal Bhairav temple in Kotwali area of the holy city.

Congress' consistent emphasis in Varanasi despite a sure shot loss is being looked as preparations for the assembly elections.