Sonia launches UP campaign, cuts short Varanasi roadshow after falling ill

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

Varanasi, August 2

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday launched the party’s Uttar Pradesh poll campaign from the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, daring the top BJP leader in his own den.

However, she had to halt her roadshow due to ill health after a strenuous day and decided to fly back to Delhi. Sonia was to conclude her roadshow with garlanding of Kamlapati Tripathi's statue in Varanasi. Owing to ill health, she had to cut short the party's show and also had to cancel her visit to Kashi Vishwanath temple.

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Sources said Gandhi was suffering from viral fever but had decided to go ahead with the roadshow as she was not inclined to cancel it at the last minute

Local Congress MLA Ajai Rai said Gandhi was put on a saline drip at the airport. The hospital at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) has also been alerted, he said.

As per Congress sources, Gandhi was feeling better and will return to Delhi by the special plane which had brought her to Varanasi.

Earlier, the Congress president arrived at the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport here in the morning through a chartered flight. Her cavalcade passed through the heart of the city led by around 2,000 bikers and scores of cars in a show of strength.

After Sonia Gandhi took ill during the roadshow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to pray for her quick recovery and good health.

Heard about Sonia ji’s ill health during her Varanasi visit today. I pray for her quick recovery and good health.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 2, 2016

Gandhi, accompanied by Congress UP chief ministerial face Sheila Dikshit and party general secretary incharge of the state Ghulam Nabi Azad, boarded an SUV after waving to enthusiastic cadres who had thronged the airport carrying Tricolours in their hands.

Entire top Congress brass of UP was at the airport to receive the Congress chief who continued to wave to crowds from inside her vehicle as her cavalcade traversed the narrow alleyways and roads of Varanasi, a city Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to transform into Kyoto.

Cashing in on the “lack of development” in Varanasi, she kickstarted Congress’ ‘Dard-e-Banaras’ campaign to tell people of the BJP’s “empty promises” and frilly campaign.

Varanasi has around 106 of the 403 assembly seats of UP which goes to polls next year.

Gandhi drove home the party’s poll message, ‘27 Saal UP Behaal’ during the roadshow that started 2 pm. The Congress was voted out of power in UP in 1989. The SP formed the government in the state with support from the Congress which has since not captured power in India’s largest state which hugely impacts the general election results. — With agencies