Ahead of Lok Sabha elections in 2019, the VIP constituencies of Rae Bareli and Amethi are emerging as the hub of political activities. While the Congress  is determined to retain its political strongholds, the BJP is equally
determined to dislodge the rival party.

In tune with the above and shortly after the two-day visit of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to her parliamentary constituency of Rae Bareli and Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s three-day tour of his constituency Amethi, the BJP national president Amit Shah, along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will address a rally at the GIC ground in Rae Bareli on April 21.

Shah and Yogi will be accompanied by other BJP leaders including Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma and other ministers from the Centre and the state. This will be Shah’s second visit to UP in a span of 10 days. He was in Lucknow last week where he held a long meeting with Yogi reportedly to firm up the BJPs strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

The Rae Bareli rally is also being seen as a part of the same exercise and may also witness three Gandhi loyalists sharing stage with Shah.

The Congress MLC (from the local body quota) Dinesh Pratap Singh, his brother Rakesh Pratap Singh, who is the Congress MLA from Rae Bareli, and Awadhesh Singh, who is the chairman of the Rae Bareli Zila Panchayat, have recently quit the Congress. While there is no official announcement on their joining the BJP, the likelihood of their sharing space with the BJP leaders is not being precluded.

The severing of ties with the Congress by these brothers will enable the BJP to build up a perception that elected members of the Congress in these two constituencies are deserting the party.

To specify Rakesh Singh is the MLA from Harchandpur Assembly segment of Rae Bareli while the voters of Dinesh Singh comprise both from Rae Bareli and the Amethi Lok Sabha constituencies.

It was only on Wednesday that Sonia Gandhi had rounded her two-day visit to Rae Bareli. She visited her constituency after a gap of nearly two years. During her stay, Sonia and Rahul held a ‘janta darbar’. The UPA chairperson also inaugurated the IMA building, passport office and chaired the district vigilance monitoring body.

Sonia’s visit to her constituency and that of Rahul to Amethi had been preceeded by Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani’s visit to Amethi. Irani, who has been visiting Amethi regularly, had in 2014 Lok Sabha elections lost to Rahul. Speculations are rife that the BJP may field her again from
Amethi in 2019.