Gorakhpur, Feb 09: Kicking off her party campaign in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today embarked on a three-day tour of Gorakhpur and Basti areas to boost the party`s prospects in the coming Lok Sabha polls in the key state.
Ms Gandhi reached this eastern up hub by an aircraft from new Delhi and proceeded for Nausarh in a massive carcade to begin the Poorvanchal `Kissan Chetna Yatra`.` Hundreds of people had gathered on the roadside to have a look at the Congress president who occasionally waved at the crowd. After the January 10-12 whirlwind tour of western up bordering Delhi, this is the second visit of Ms Gandhi to the state, and perhaps the first public interaction after the 13th Lok Sabha was dissolved on February 6. Hundreds of congress workers had gathered outside the airforce station here where Ms Gandhi was to land around 0930 hrs. UPCC president Jagdambika Pal faced embarassing moments as angry workers, who failed to gain entry inside the aerodrome, raised slogans against him. Mediapersons, who had gathered to cover the event, were also witness to fisticuffs between two groups of supporters trying to gain entry inside the VVIP lounge. Some local party workers also raised slogans to protest the delay in forming a new district Congress committee, kept in suspended animation since the past nine months. Since Ms Gandhi`s flight landed late, she skipped a programme to garland the statue of former prime minister Indira Gandhi. During here three-day stay in the region, she would visit Maharajganj, Siddharthanagar, Padrauna and Basti and interact with locals and farmers during the various halts.

Bureau Report