Sonia Gandhi questions PM Narendra Modi's 'achhe din' in 'personal' letter, mum on SP-Congress alliance in UP

New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi has written a 'personal' letter to the people of her Lok Sabha constituency - Raebareli – explaining reasons for her absence from campaigning in the poll-bound state of Uttar Pradesh. However, she stayed mum on the electoral alliance between Congress and Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party for assembly polls in UP.

In her letter, the Congress chief said representing the people of Raebareli and Amethi in Lok Sabha has been a matter of pride for her family and that she has a 'special connect' with the people there.

“Despite my intense desire, I am not able to be physically present among you this time. Please treat this as my ‘personal’ letter... Raebareli and Amethi have become an integral part of our lives. The credit for whatever we are today goes to you. You and I share a special relationship which is the biggest asset of my life,” Sonia Gandhi wrote in the letter. 

Commenting on the functioning of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, Sonia Gandhi said, ''The Centre has been blocking funds meant for development in Raebareli and Amethi.''

Attacking the Narendra Modi-led BJP disposition, Sonia alleged that for the first time, a government is working against its own people. 

Branding the BJP-led NDA government as 'anti-poor', the Congress president said the present disposition is working to benefit only a section of industrialists.

“The central government is deliberately trying to deprive people of welfare schemes. Have you ever seen a government which weakens its own people, works against its own people? This government is working for a handful of people, benefiting industrialists at the cost of the poor people,” Sonia said.

While questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claim of 'Achhe Din' (good days), Sonia Gandhi slammed his government's demonetisation move due to which thousands of small traders suffered heavy losses in business and the middle class faced umpteen difficulties.

The Congress president further alleged that the people belonging to Dalit and minority community have lost all hopes under the Modi government. 
 
“In 2014, the people of India, including Uttar Pradesh, gave these people so much but instead of bringing in “Achhe Din”, Modi government snatched everything that you possessed...Our brothers and sisters belonging to Dalit and minority community are living in an atmosphere of despondency,” she wrote. 

However, she asked the voters to rethink before casting their votes this time. 

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has not campaigned in the ongoing Uttar Pradesh elections, mainly due to health reasons. 

Sonia has not attended a single rally in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa - the five states where elections began early this month. 

Goa, Punjab and Uttarakhand have voted while staggered polling in Uttar Pradesh that began on February 11 will end on March 8. Manipur votes on March 4 and 8. Results of all the elections will be known on March 11.

This is for the first time in Sonia Gandhi's political career that she has skipped election campaign for the party she has headed since 1998.

Interestingly, the Congress president was earlier listed as one of the star campaigners for the party. 

She was expected to canvass for Congress candidates in Raebareli - spread over five assembly constituencies. But she had not been keeping well since August last year when she was taken ill at a public meeting in Varanasi.

She also skipped much of the budget session of Parliament this month.

Sonia Gandhi's letter was widely shared on Twitter and immediately became viral.