US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Sonia meeting draws huge crowd

Sharat Pradhan in Varanasi

Congress President Sonia Gandhi today virtually launched her election campaign in Uttar Pradesh by striking a chord in the people of this ancient Hindu city and reminding them that only the Congress could provide a stable and firm government to the nation in the new millenium.

The idea in selecting Varanasi for the purpose was apparently guided with the aim of pooh-poohing the opposition bogey about her being a foreigner. Sure enough the crowds drawn by her at the historic Bania Bagh ground was palpable proof of opposition propaganda falling flat on its face.

In an emotional speech she attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre for failing to respond effectively to the Kargil crisis. ''We do have certain questions on Kargil which we will raise at the appropriate time and mind you the government will have to answer these questions,'' she thundered.

The Congress president further said that the ''with the 21st century round the corner we need clear cut economic policies and a long term perspective. These can only be provided by the Congress.''

Draped in a beige saree, sonia looked quite comfortable with her Hindi and repeatedly drew applause from the crowd in response to her sarcasm-laced pronouncements.

There was a great number of Muslims in attendance, a possible hint of the community's renewed faith in the party.

Touching on the familiar theme of her forced entry into politics, she reiterated her ''commitment to qualitatively improve the lives of ordinary people.''

Tell us what you think of this report