Rahul storms UP's 'hostile' belt

CAMPAIGN CHARMER: Rahul will cover 32 constituencies, none of which are Congress's.

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New Delhi: Congress's rising son hit the campaign trail in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, seeking to change the party's fortunes.

But on Day 1 of his attempts, Amethi MP and Congress scion Rahul Gandhi failed to make his charisma work to his or his party's advantage.

He deliberately chose to stay away from the controversial caste-related issues and focused mainly on youth and bad governance.

But the soft and the rather safe approach couldn't push his case in the Muradnagar-Modinagar-Meerut belt, which the traditionally been the stronghold of Jat strongman and RLD leader Ajit Singh.

On Day 2, Rahul will be looking forward to a better show.

In his roadshow, that now goes to Meerut, Muzaffarnagar and Charthwal in western UP, Rahul will address public meetings and will try and whip up a buzz for the Congress in the region.

He is scheduled to cover 32 constituencies over the day, none of which have a strong Congress presence in the belt.

Fizz-less campaign

Gandhi started the campaign from Delhi-UP border on Sunday and on most of the occasions sticked to brief two-minute speeches.

On the way, Rahul reluctantly accepted turbans and other souveniers offered by the people.

Accompanied by UPCC Chief Salman Khursheed and Zonal in-charge Rashid Alvi, Rahul addressed two public rallies at Muradnagar and Mawana and conducted more than two dozen roadside meetings on the first day of his three-day tour of western UP.

"I want to ask you all one simple question: What have the successive government done for you in the past 15 years?" he asked in one of his rallies.

Rahul also visited Muslim-dominated areas of the city besides praying at a Muslim shrine.

But his much-hyped charisma, known to work well in Congress strongholds of Amethi and Rae Barelli, failed to cast its spell in this area and the response remained lukewarm.

"I am here to work shoulder to shoulder with you to change this state and usher in all-round development, and to forget the 15 years of misrule," he thundered.

Accusing non-Congress for the "misrule" of the past 15 years for the "plight" of UP, Gandhi promised the voters of a 'golden era" if Congress was voted back to power.