Sonia Gandhi falls ill at UP roadshow

Congress’ Varanasi show of strength big success

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday connected with thousands of people in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, where elections will be held early next year. However, her roadshow, a big success, had to be called off towards the end as she fell ill.

Mrs Gandhi was taken to Varanasi’s Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport where doctors attending to her said she had high fever. She was flown to Delhi late evening. Before she left, Mrs Gandhi in a statement promised to return to Varanasi soon for a darshan at the Kashi Vishwanath temple.

The eight-km long roadshow in Varanasi, from the Circuit House to Englishiya Lane, began at 2 pm, with thousands of supporters waving to the Congress president and chanting “Har Har Mahadev”.

The Congress president was showered with rose petals all through the route as Mrs Gandhi, 69, stood in an SUV greeting people who had gathered on both sides as her cavalcade of cars drove slowly through the streets of the city in a show of strength. She stepped out of her vehicle often to greet the cheering supporters, including groups of Muslim women who came in large numbers. This has surprised those who were busy writing the party’s obituary.

The roadshow, which was to conclude at the statue of party veteran Kamalapati Tripathi at Englishia Lane, had to be stopped at Lahura Bir Chouraha as she stared feeling unwell. Mrs Gandhi left UP without visiting Kashi Vishwanath temple and her address to the media was also cancelled.

Apart from choosing Mr Modi’s constituency, Mrs Gandhi, in another politically significant move, began her Varanasi visit by paying floral tributes to Dr B.R. Ambedkar in a city revered by Hindus, particularly the upper castes. She removed her footwear before going up to offer her tribute to Ambedkar—an act usually reserved for deities. The party hopes to regain the dalit and upper caste vote bank for a comeback in the 2017 Assembly elections and her tribute to Ambedkar is seen as part of the Congress strategy.

UPPC chief Raj Babbar said, “The fact that so many people have come out to support the Congress shows that people are clearly unhappy with the present government. The people of UP have always worked miracles—in 2007 they gave a mandate to BSP, in 2012 to SP and this time, I am confident that it will be the Congress.”

The Congress has also launched a campaign on the social media called “Dard-e-Banaras” which aims at highlighting the lack of development in Varanasi, which Mr Modi has been representing for over two years in the Lok Sabha.

“This road show has brought the Congress back in the discussion. Congress ab maidan me hain,” Prem Chand, a bystander, said. Another bystander Mohammad Yasin said, “Modiji ke liye achche din hain, garibon ke liye bure din.”

Mrs Gandhi was seen attracting women, youth, girls, minorities, lower and upper middle class people during the roadshow, and everyone was keen to shake hands with her. Senior Congress leaders including AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress’ CM candidate Sheila Dikshit, UPCC chief Raj Babbar, campaign committee chief Sanjay Sinh, senior leader Pramod Tiwari, PL Punia, and Rita Bahuguna also attended the march.

Raj Babbar later said that Mrs Gandhi spoke to people and has set the tone of the state Assembly polls by launching the campaign from the holy city.