According to Congress spokesman Subodh Srivastav, in all ten rath yatras would move in different parts of the state to cover all the assembly constituencies by November this year in two phases. Then first phase of rath yatra will be over in the month of May and second phase would begin after the monsoons and culminate in public meeting to be addressed by AICC president Mrs Sonia Gandhi at Allahabad.

According to senior Congress leaders, since Ananda Bhawan had played important role in Congress and freedom movement and at a time when 125 years of the party were being celebrated, Allahabad was selected for public meeting. The rath yatra will create awareness in public about 125 glorious years of Congress and misrule of Mayawati government, large scale corruption, deterioration in law and order situation and also inform people about achievements of UPA government.

These rath yatras are being led by senior party leaders including party MPs, MLAs and others. According to reports reaching Lucknow the rath yatras are being taken seriously by party workers and people at large. There is great amount of enthusiasm among people for these rath yatras which is evident from warm reception for these rath yatra though their routes.

In the presence of senior leaders like Mrs. Mohsina Kidwai, Mr Digvijay Singh and UPCC president Mrs Rita Bahuguna Joshi , Rahul Gandhi launched attack on Mayawati government for its all round failure. Rahul Gandhi said crores of rupees were being sent by UPA government at the centre for upliftment of poor persons of the state but the money never went beyond Lucknow and that too was spent on statues and memorials. Gandhi scion said that Mayawati government was not bothered to implement good schemes like NREGA as people were not getting jobs despite having job cards. While making attack on BSP supremo Mayawati, Rahul Gandhi said those who were opposed to my visit to huts of dalits, poor and backwards in villages, should see the crowd in Ambedkarnagar as it representative of Real India.

Rahul Gandhi said people were migrating to big cities from places like Bundelkhand region which was economically and socially backward and people had no jobs. He claimed that he was instrumental in getting special package for Bundelkhand. Having modern approach for development, Rahul Gandhi told the people in Ambedkarnagar that gone were the days of politics of caste and religion. He further said people wanted development rather indulging in petty politics of caste and religion. Rahul said in future real politics would be on taking out UP from poverty and unemployment.

Despite several hurdles created by Mayawati Government, Rahul Gandhi stole thunder from BSP and its supremo Mayawati. The crowd in Ambedkarnagar meeting for Rahul Gandhi was quite impressive and responsive which speaks for the success of the programme.

The manner in which Rahul Gandhi attacked Mayawati government it is clear that Congress was getting ready to challenge ruling BSP to capture power on its own. Rahul Gandhi avoided any reference of Samajwadi Party and BJP to give the impression these two parties had lost credibility and were nowhere in the race for grabbing power in the state. (IPA)