Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Priyanka’s river journey to bring Modi projects under scrutiny

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claims about the development work done by him in his Lok Sabha seat and his government’s ambitious projects like the “Namami Gange” and waterways may come under close scrutiny as Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra undertakes a river journey to Varanasi next week.

Priyanka is expected to reach Varanasi on Wednesday morning after beginning her river journey at Prayagraj on March 18.

She will feel the pulse of the people as she meets them on ‘ghats’ (river banks) and in the villages along the route and her journey will mark beginning of her party’s election campaign in east UP region.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been telling lies to the people of Varanasi and India for the past five years. A dais was set up put up for the first time for the PM’s speech in the premises of Kashi Vishwanath temple on March 8, 2019 though no development has taken place in the area. We will meet Priyankaji in Lucknow a day before she begins her river journey on March 18. We are sure she will take a view of the situation and tell the truth to the people,” said senior Congress leader and former MP Rajesh Mishra.

As Priyanka will reach Lucknow a day before beginning her river journey senior leaders here reviewed the preparations for her visit. Priyanka during her last visit stressed upon the need of re-strengthening the organisation “I am learning a lot about how to restructure the organisation and the changes needed to be made in the road ahead,” she had said while speaking to media persons in Lucknow last month. The Congress had thereafter sent AICC general secretaries to all the Lok Sabha constituencies to ensure that the organization structure was put in place at the grass roots level. Priyanka may also review the progress on this front. A meeting of party’s backward classes department was also held and party leaders laid emphasis on expediting work of setting up of block level committees.

According to information Priyanka will begin her journey after offering prayers at Sangam in Prayagraj on Monday morning. At Varanasi on Wednesday, she will pay a visit to residence of former Prime Minister late Lal Bahadur Shastri in Ramnagar area and later offer prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple and take part in a Holi Milan programme besides meeting Congress workers at the district party’s office before leaving back for New Delhi. At Prayagraj she will meet family members of CRPF jawan Mahesh Yadav, who was killed in Pulwama terror attack last month. She will have a darshan at Vidhyachal temple and Chandrika Devi in Mirzapur. She will also meet partymen, women self-help groups and hold a roadshow there on Tuesday. On way she will have interactions with weavers and members of boatmen community etc.