Click to play videoLucknow: For the Congress and Rahul Gandhi in Uttar Pradesh, so far, it has been a no vote with the party losing three of the four seats in his constituency Amethi in the civic polls.
Though Rahul remains the magic word for the party in UP, in its first small test, it does not seem to have worked.
Meanwhile, Rahul has been taking personal interest in these elections, from choosing candidates to managing the campaign.
But his party says it’s unfair to question the result of Rahul's efforts, since he wasn't physically there and wasn't campaigning.
“It’s been our tradition that in local elections, big and senior leaders do not campaign,” said PCC of UP, Salman Khurshid.
However, the same party had congratulated Rahul for helping his mother Sonia Gandhi win from Rae Bareili when she sought a re-election. Rahul was his mother's poll manager. For the party, Rahul had arrived.
But Monday's figures from Amethi bring worrying signs. Congress has lost from Jais, a Muslim dominated area and it has lost in Amethi proper.
Though time and again Sonia has announced that Rahul would play a dominant role in UP politics, the party seems hesitant.
The problem is that in UP as far as Rahul is concerned, the party is scared to lose and prefers to play it safe.
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