BJP will free Rae Bareli of 'parivarvad', says Amit Shah in Gandhi family's pocket borough

Rae Bareli: BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday said his party would rid Rae Bareli, the Lok Sabha constituency of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, of 'parivarvad'.

Addressing a public meeting in Gandhi family's pocket borough, he said Rae Bareli voted for top Congress leaders, but had not witnessed development since Independence.

"Rae Bareli has seen 'parivarvad' (dynastic politics) ever since Independence till this day and no development. I have come here to make it clear that the BJP will free Rae Bareli of 'parivarvad' and will start the campaign from today itself for taking it on the path of 'vikasvad' (development)," Shah said.

"The Congress and its top leadership have ruled in Uttar Pradesh and Rae Bareli for years but the 'bhumi pujan' of community health centre and primary health centre was carried out only lately and the Yogi Adityanath-led state government has done a lot for the constituency. Now with some Congress leaders here joining the BJP, it is our responsibility to develop it by leaps and bounds. We will develop it as an ideal constituency and a model district," he added.

यहां की धरती ने कांग्रेस के बड़े-बड़े नेताओं को चुन कर संसद भेजा है, लेकिन यहां कभी विकास नहीं हुआ: भाजपा अध्‍यक्ष श्री @AmitShah #ShahInRaeBareli pic.twitter.com/uzfLvFXklf — BJP Uttar Pradesh (@BJP4UP) April 21, 2018

आजादी से अब तक रायबरेली ने सिर्फ परिवारवाद देखा है विकास नहीं देखा है। हम रायबरेली को परिवारवाद से निकाल कर विकासवाद के पथ पर ले जाएंगे: भाजपा अध्‍यक्ष श्री @AmitShah #ShahInRaeBareli pic.twitter.com/I5hoNHruwP

— BJP Uttar Pradesh (@BJP4UP) April 21, 2018

रायबरेली का विकास दिन दोगुनी और रात चौगुनी करने की जिम्मेदारी भाजपा पर है: भाजपा अध्‍यक्ष श्री @AmitShah #ShahInRaeBareli pic.twitter.com/0AchWTjVqE — BJP Uttar Pradesh (@BJP4UP) April 21, 2018

The BJP chief further said that before Yogi government assumed office, UP was known for 'goonda raj' and bad law and order. Shah went on to say that he wanted to tell Rae Bareli people that he had been touring all over the country and "I can say Narendra Modi government will come back with a bigger mandate in 2019".

आज उत्तर प्रदेश के रायबरेली में जनसभा को संबोधित किया। पिछले एक वर्ष में मुख्यमंत्री श्री @myogiadityanath जी ने उत्तर प्रदेश में कानून और विकास का राज स्थापित कर प्रदेश को गुंडों और गड्ढों से मुक्त करने का काम किया है। pic.twitter.com/nGGuJbpLQO — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 21, 2018

Though the BJP swept UP in the 2014 general election, the BJP lost both Rae Bareli and Amethi to the Congress. Barring three exceptions - 1977, 1996 and 1998 - Rae Bareli has stood with the Congress since 1952.

Rae Bareli is currently represented by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, a four-term MP. Amethi is represented in Parliament by Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

(With PTI inputs)