Congress' star campaigner and Amethi parliamentarian Rahul Gandhi on Monday entered the Bharatiya Janata Party stronghold of Lucknow to campaign for his party's candidates.
After addressing an election meeting in Mohanlalganj near the capital city, Rahul flew down to Lucknow to take out his familiar roadshow on the streets of the city of nawabs.
The district administration, fearing for the MP's security, has asked him not to travel on top of his Toyota SUV after sunset. He has been asked to stay inside the vehicle in the last lap of his roadshow in Lucknow.
Congress workers lamented that Rahul's cavalcade of cars travelled much faster than the 'usual speed,' which snatched the opportunity to get up and close with him. In the first part of the roadshow, not many party workers could gather at the meeting points to welcome him.
The four Congress candidates from the city were made to sit next to him in his vehicle as they passed through the constituencies they are contesting from.
In the city, the four seats have sitting legislators from
the BJP. In the other four rural seats, while SP and BSP share one seat each, two of the seats are represented by Independents.
Addressing an election meeting at Mohanlalganj in Lucknow district, Rahul said he wanted to develop the assembly constituency on the lines of Amethi and Rae Bareli.
"I don't know where the funds go. Development is not seen," he said criticising the Mulayam Singh Yadav government.
The lawmaker from Amethi charged the state government of not giving the youth of the state chances to prove their potential.
"I see people from UP working in Haryana, Delhi, Karanataka and Maharashtra. They claim UP does not provide them with employment opportunities," he claimed.
"Since the road from Amethi to Lucknow goes through Mohanlalganj, I want to develop the area on the lines of Amethi and Rae Bareli. For that, you will have to ensure the victory of Congress candidate," he said, adding that parliamentarians and legislators play an important role in the development of their constituencies using state and central funds.