Poll campaign in Rae Bareli reaches fever pitch

Rae Bareli: The election campaign in the by-election to the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat has reached fever pitch with sons of two high profile leaders holding the reins of the campaigning.

While Rahul Gandhi, son of Congress president and candidate Sonia Gandhi, is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the victory of his mother, Akhilesh Yadav, son of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, has launched the campaign on the "bicycle", which is his Samajwadi Party's election symbol, for the party's nominee Raj Kumar Chaudhary.

The nominee of the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) Vinay Katiyar has been left to fend for himself as no big leader has campaigned for him.

BJP chief Rajnath Singh is busy in his chariot march and former Chief Minister Kalyan Singh is in hospital after a bypass surgery.

The state leaders are awaiting the green signal from the central leaders to start campaign in the constituency.

Unprecedented security arrangements have been made in this high profile constituency, with the whole constituency divided into sectors. The additional superintendent of police and additional district magistrate would monitor each sector, the senior superintendent of police, Rae Bareli, told newsmen here.

A tour of the constituency convinced Gulf News that the people have more or less made up their mind on whom to vote for.

Several people in Bachchrawan, an assembly segment of the constituency, said there is "no fight" in Rae Bareli as this constituency has already gone the Sonia way.

The people here believe Katiyar and Chaudhary could be fighting only for the second place.

Samajwadi Party leaders said in Lucknow that a "cycle march" Akhilesh Yadav has planned is aimed at countering Rahul Gandhi's outbursts against the Uttar Pradesh government.

Rahul has sharpened his attack on the state government, reiterating his charge that the contribution of the state government to the development of the constituency has been negligible.