Rahul enters Mulayam's den

SONSTROKE: Rahul trained his guns on the Mulayam government in the SP leader's bastion.

People who read this also read

• Rahul Gandhi storms Mulayam's bastion
• Ahead of Assembly polls, BSP gears UP
• FM fine-tunes Aligarh's sensibility
• UP polls: Rahul sells Cong dream
• Police baton-charge at Rahul's meeting

Bharthana (Uttar Pradesh): Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday took on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav in the heart of the SP leader’s territory, Bharthana.

In a stately manner Rahul climbed the dais in Bharthana, as the election temperature mounted in Uttar Pradesh, and asked, “where is the development.”

“I don’t see anything happening here. What has the UP government been doing? Not any work,” Rahul said matter-of-factly.

A part of Mulayam's home district Etawah, this small town sprung a pleasant surprise on Rahul who was welcomed with open arms and garlands on the second day of his three-day road show in the state. However, this groundswell may not get translated into votes but Rahul did manage to impress people in Mulayam’s bastion.

Not only the venue where the scion of India's first political family addressed a poll rally but even the roads leading to it were packed with crowds.

With the focus on the youth of UP and continuing to train his guns on the Mulayam government, Rahul said, “When a new thought process is required the it’s only the youth who can do it.”

But one young man who is hardly impressed by Rahul’s verbal attack is Mulayam's MP son Akhilesh Yadav.

With a sarcastic smile Akhilesh, who was campaigning in neighbouring Etawah, tried to hammer in the fact that Rahul is a novice, even compared to him.

“Does he know the number of districts in UP? Who is he to talk about development then?” retorted Akhilesh.

With Rahul in attack mode and that, too, in Mulayam's bastion in Bharthana, which is one of the two constituencies from where Mulayam will be contesting the elections, it seems UP elections has much in store than these road shows.

MULAYAM'S STRONGHOLD
	Bharthana is the most important seat for the SP as the CM is contesting from here. He is also contesting from Gunnaur (Badaun).
	Bharthana has been witnessing a star-studded campaign with the Samajwadi Party fielding actor-turned politician Jayaprada for campaigning here.
	BJP President Rajnath Singh and another actor-turned-politician Hema Malini were also addressing rallies in the vicinity of Rahul's rally venue.
	The UP Chief Minister's son, Akhilesh Yadav, a MP from Kannauj, is also scheduled to address a rally in Bharthana.
	Bharthana had returned Congressman Vinod Yadav during the previous elections, who later defected to the SP.
	Bharthana is witnessing an all-Yadav contest as most of the political parties have fielded a candidate from the Yadav caste.