In what is being seen as an aggressive launch of BJP’s 2019 poll campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Sonia Gandhi’s parliamentary constituency Raebareli around 16 December – his first time since assuming office in 2014.
His visit, scheduled just after the results for five Assembly elections on 11 December, comes at a time when the BJP is trying to take the fight to both Congress bastions in Uttar Pradesh – Raebareli and party chief Rahul Gandhi’s constituency Amethi.
The visit assumes more significance given BJP’s consistent efforts to up the ante in the Gandhi family’s bastions, a fact that can be gleaned from Union minister Smriti Irani’s frequent visits to Amethi.
According to a report in The Economic Times, Modi is also expected to visit the Modern Coach Factory in Raebareli and the upcoming AIIMS, in addition to addressing a public rally.
‘No Constituency is Anyone's Personal Fiefdom’
BJP leaders quoted by the report said that Modi’s visit will set the stage for the party to introduce a “strong candidate” against Sonia in 2019.
“BJP’s focus, this time, is both on Amethi and Raebareli – we want to aggressively take on the Congress here,” a BJP leader said.
A News18 report, however, quoted BJP spokesperson Dr Chandra Mohan as saying: "No constituency or area is anyone's personal fiefdom. Raebareli and Amethi had lacked on development for decades."
He further said, “Prime Minister’s visit to the town is in tune with our promise of bringing development back to this region,”
As per the report, after Raebareli, the PM will visit Prayagraj (Allahabad) on the same day for monitoring the Kumbh preparations. Later in the month, he will also be visiting his constituency of Varanasi and address a rally in eastern UP town of Ghazipur.
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