Sonia is Rae Bareli’s passport to outside world, so they vote for her

RAE BARELI: Luck visits Rae Bareli once in five years. Roads are laid, power lines are drawn and even a few policemen drop in, managing traffic. And, then they all go, sooner than the last vote is cast. The town would wait again for another election.
But Narsingh, a young lawyer attached to the district collectorate, isn’t complaining. “We vote for Sonia Gandhi as she is our passport to the world outside.She is our ID card,” he says as his colleagues nod.
They know sending stars to Parliament — Feroze Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and now Sonia seeking her third term from here — has a rub-off effect. And the electorate in this Congress bastion takes pride in having a “VVIP MP” from its constituency.
To Rae Bareli voters, being represented by the Gandhi ‘bahu’ is a matter of identity. “When you travel outside the country, and tell people you are from Rae Bareli, the connect is instant. They all seem to know Sonia Gandhi. And it’s a proud moment for us,” says Mohd Akram of Maharajganj town.
Ratipal Singh, a farmer, was surprised when he went to visit a relative in Kolkata in 2004. He was virtually mobbed by people from the neighbourhood. They all wanted to know about Sonia. “I realized that having sent a VVIP to Parliament, I had become a celebrity too. This happened whenever I travelled. They all wanted to know about her and Rahul and Priyanka,” says Pritpal.
Many say it was probably a mistake defeating Indira in 1977. “I don’t think Rae Bareli will not make the mistake of 1977 when it sent Raj Narain to Parliament by defeating her.
Immediately after Indira lost, the Sharda canal — the lifeline of Rae Bareli — was diverted to Bachchrawan and Pratapgarh, leaving most of Rae Bareli devoid of water,” says Jairam Dwivedi, who runs a seed shop at Sareni market.
However, while unrelenting in their support for Sonia, they are unhappy that the “VVIP constituency” has not seen any development during her tenure as MP. “Roads are in a pathetic condition. It is difficult to drive even an SUV on some stretches,” says Mahasukh Chaudhary, an advocate. At Behta Kalan and Sareni, where people say that though they are proud to have Sonia as their MP, development is an issue.
Many, however, feel that it is the local leaders and administration that are coming in the way of Rae Bareli and development.
“We cannot blame Sonia Gandhi for this. She sends money but local Congress leaders do not perform. Local-level officers also siphon off funds,” says Harilal from Behta Kalan, who got his village road repaired after he complained to Priyanka Gandhi directly during one of her visits.