As per schedule, the Congress chief was to start her roadshow from Circuit House but it began right from the airport as she was accorded warm welcome by people and party workers on a almost 20 km stretch between the airport and Circuit House.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished Gandhi speedy recovery.
Sources in the Congress said Ms. Gandhi had felt a “little tired” and made a decision to return to Delhi on the advice of her doctors. “I pray for her quick recovery & good health”.
“She (Sonia Gandhi) who fell ill during her Varanasi visit, returned to Delhi in a chartered flight and was taken to hospital for check-up”. She is accompanied by, who is the party’s chief ministerial candidate in the state, AICC general secretary Gulam Nabi Azad, UPCC chief Raj Babbar, senior party leaders Pramod Tiwari and Sanjay Singh.
“She was unwell for the couple of days before but since the programme was there, she was very keen to go”, Priyanka said.
Congress hopes to regain the Dalit and upper caste vote banks for a comeback in the 2017 assembly elections and her tributes to Ambedkar are a part of the Congress strategy. Before she left, Mrs Gandhi in a statement promised to return to Varanasi soon for a darshan at the Kashi Vishwanath temple. Now Rahul Gandhi’s pun on the BJP slogan of “har har Modi” which he converted to “arhar Modi” may also find resonance among many people.
Dozens of mini trucks prominently displayed posters with “27 Saal, UP Behaal” (27 years of UP’s distress) written on them. But the SPG tasked with her security would have none of it and said she would have to give her intention in writing.
On way, as her cavalcade emerged out of the airport, hundreds of enthusiastic Congress workers showered petals on her and asked her to lead the party to power in Uttar Pradesh.
The Congress has also launched a campaign on the social media called “Dard-e-Banaras” which aims at highlighting the lack of development in Varanasi, which Mr Modi has been representing for over two years in the Lok Sabha.
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Huge crowd of people had gathered at the road show and Sonia was also scheduled to visit Kashi Vishwanath temple. She is stable and fine but under the observation of doctors.
