![Sonia Gandhi from RaeBareli seat](https://img.etimg.com/thumb/msid-110126452,width-300,height-225,imgsize-490853,resizemode-75/sonia-gandhi-from-raebareli-seat.jpg)
In his address here on Sunday, Union minister Amit Shah said if the essence of "400 paar" could be met with one seat, it was Raebareli. The remark underscores the perceptional value this seat carries in BJP's mission to trounce Congress, with Amethi already being vacated for a family 'representative' instead of a member.
If Congress is invoking its over 100-year-old ties with the place, right from the time Jawaharlal Nehru provided strength to the non-cooperation movement led by farmers against the British in 1920-21 to Rahul Gandhi calling the place Indira Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi's karmabhoomi and the seminal work done by them for the area, BJP wants to root the fight in a local versus outsider debate, projecting Dinesh Pratap Singh as the one who will be there to address day-to-day woes.
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Samajwadi Party is also providing Congress with organisational strength, especially in rural areas where Congress is 'weaker'. Besides, four out of five SP MLAs in Raebareli also bring in their own voter base for Congress, even though SP MLA from Unchahar, Manoj Pandey, is supporting BJP and could pull a section of Brahmin votes away from Congress. If Congress voters are predicting a clean sweep, BJP supporters say there is a fight and it won't be one-sided. Singh had halved Sonia's winning margin in 2019 to about 1.7 lakh.
"Modi ji will form government, but Raebareli will and should go to Congress," Sachin Jaiswal in Bacchrawan told ET.
On why it "should" go to Congress, Jaiswal said: "Whenever we go somewhere outside, we say we are from Raebareli, and people say, Oh, Soniaji's region? The association with Congress has given the place a distinct identity."
An old-timer, Ram Narain's choice for Congress is driven by emotion and direct benefit. "Jiska khaaye hain itne saal, hum toh usi ke ehsaan mandh hain (we are grateful to those who have helped us earn our living)," he said. On how he has benefitted from Congress' tenure, he lists the Sharda Canal on top for providing water for irrigation.
Across the city, posters projecting Rahul as 'Raebareli ka Rahul' have come up. Congress has thrown in its strongest leadership to defend the seat. Bhupesh Baghel has been made an observer and is camping there. Sachin Pilot has come down to campaign, even as Priyanka Gandhi has been alternating between Raebareli and Amethi and will continue the drill till May 18, the last day of campaigning for the seat.
"It is an 80 versus 20 fight here. Some 80% will vote for Congress, 20% will vote on the basis of caste, money, etc. for BJP. There is a mahaul in favour of Rahul Gandhi," Atul Kumar Sharma, a Congress councillor told ET at the Congress office at Tilak Bhawan.
Pledging support for BJP, Ashok Chaudhary in Sareni said, "We don't have a problem with the Gandhis. But their 'chhutbhaiye' people like KL Sharma, who were supposed to be their representative, have hardly been around." BJP is also battling inner discontent. Its lone MLA Aditi Singh, who represents Sadar seat, hasn't been seen campaigning for Dinesh Singh, with her differences dating back to 2019 when she was in Congress and her car overturned. She had accused his brother Awadhesh of foul play. The grouse became worse "after Dinesh Singh was made minister while Aditi Singh wasn't given any responsibility".
She was, however, seen on stage with him during Shah's event. Another BJP worker said: "BJP will lose here and I am upset about it. The anger is not against the party but the candidate."
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