)
Congress scion and party Vice President Rahul Gandhi flagged off the party’s poll campaign in Madhya Pradesh today evoking the Congress President and his mother Sonia Gandhi’s “ill health” and how despite that she wanted to “stay on Parliament” on the day of the crucial vote, to see her dream the Food Security act come to fruition. Ironically, when some Congressmen in Allahabad (UP), put up posters mentioning Gandhi’s ill health of late and demanded that Priyanka Gandhi contest the polls from Phulpur; they were severly reprimanded with two party activists even being suspended by the state Congress unit.
While Gandhi aimed at extolling Sonia Gandhi’s contribution to the Food security law by citing her illness, any references within the party to the Congress President’s “illness” officially are strictly taboo. The party would prefer to make it appear that Rahul Gandhi’s elevation as party Vice President has occurred in the due course of things, while on the contrary it was propelled by Sonia Gandhi’s illness and her long absences from the country when she was abroad for treatment. Rahul Gandhi is now in charge of day to day affairs of the party and virtually calls all the shots.
Addressing the crowd at Shadol in Madhya Pradesh today, Rahul Gandhi recalled the day when his mother was taken ill in Parliament and was in tears when she could not vote in the Lok Sabha when the Food bill was being passed in August. “I will not go until the bill is passed (despite being taken ill in Parliament). I have fought this battle for years. I will not go without pushing the button (casting the vote)” Gandhi said recalling his mother’s words.
Striking an emotional chord with his audience which included a section of tribals, (Shahdol district which has a large tribal population) Gandhi added, “When I took her to hospital, she could hardly breathe and tears welled up in her eyes. She said Rahul, I fought for the bill for years, I wanted to press the button (to register her vote) but could not.”
Highlighting the UPA’s “gamechanger” legislation, Gandhi said, “Now the bill has been passed. For the first time in India nobody will go hungry. Your children will not go to sleep hungry. Dalits, adivasis, people of any caste or religion will not go hungry.”
Congress is attempting to wrest power from BJP’s Shivraj Singh Chouhan who is seeking a third term. Therefore hitting out at the BJP, Gandhi questioned the BJP’s “development model” of malls and shining cars, emphasizing that it was the Congress which gave people dignity and respect. “When we talk of the the Land Acquisition Bill they (BJP) stop us in the Parliament.”
Lashing out the MP state government Gandhi in a second rally in Gwalior Gandhi said, “Madhya Pradesh is the school of corruption. Rather it is the university of corruption.”
The deeply faction ridden Madhya Pradesh Congress unit attempted to present a united front with party leaders Digvijay Singh, Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia present alongside Rahul Gandhi today.
