Rahul Gandhi will visit his parliamentary constituency Amethi in Uttar Pradesh today after a six-month gap that his critics say justifies the “missing” posters put out in parts of the town recently.
The Congress vice president’s three-day visit comes days after the ruling BJP announced a grand event in Amethi on October 10, featuring party chief Amit Shah, several union ministers including Smriti Irani – who lost the 2014 election to Mr Gandhi in the constituency – and a slew of new projects.
The Congress alleged a conspiracy when Mr Gandhi was urged to defer his plans by a top official who wrote that the administration would be unable to ensure adequate security till October 5 on account of festivals. There would be “great inconvenience in maintaining peace,” Amethi’s District Magistrate Yogesh Kumar said in a letter to Mr Gandhi.
The Congress called it a ruse by the state’s Yogi Adityanath government to keep its top leader from Amethi until the BJP event was over.
But in another letter on Monday, the administration said Mr Gandhi would be provided protection and he need not postpone his visit.
In August, posters declaring ‘Rahul Gandhi missing’ surfaced in various places in Amethi. The posters in Hindi said “anyone giving information about Rahul Gandhi will be rewarded”. The Congress blamed the BJP and its ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for the embarrassing dig at its number two leader.
The BJP has often mocked the 47-year-old Congress leader with reference to his Amethi visits, and accused him of neglecting his constituency; he last visited Amethi to campaign for the state election earlier this year.
Mr Gandhi is expected to address a “chaupal” or farmers’ gathering and also interact with workers during the tour of the constituency he has held since 2004, when he debuted in the national election.
