Lucknow: Post his return from Mansarovar Yatra, Congress president Rahul Gandhi will be welcomed with chants of 'Har Har Mahadev' and 'Bum Bhole' in his home constituency Amethi. Preparations are in full swing for Gandhi's two-day visit to the constituency.
According to information, the Congress president will be attending more than a dozen programmes during his visit, for which local party workers are busy making last minute preparations.
"There is tradition in Poorvanchal and Awadh to give a welcome outside the village to someone from the place, once he returns from the Tirth (pilgrim). Also, we feel that Amethi is like home to Gandhi and Mansarovar is most pious Hindu pilgrimage. Hence, the party president deserves that religious welcome," said a party leader involved in preparations.
Speaking to News18 on the issue, Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi said, “The preparations are in full swing for our leader Rahul Gandhi who has been on one of the most difficult pilgrimage of Bholenath. The welcome of Rahul ji will be non political and locals of Amethi will be welcoming him with chants of Har Har Mahadev and Bum Bhole. Also many Bhandaras will be organised to welcome his return throughout Amethi.”
Politically, the move is seen as the Congress advancing its ‘Soft Hindutva’ outreach ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha elections. It assumes special significance in a state like Uttar Pradesh where the temple politics has been playing for long and where the CM of the state is a priest. One cause of worry for the Congress can be Union Minister Smriti Irani, who is paying frequent visits to the constituency where she was a runner up in 2014 and most probably has plans to contest again in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
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