Amethi residents sell petrol, diesel at low rates to ring in Rahul's birthday

Selling petrol and diesel at low rates, providing 10 per cent discount on goods and distributing household items to 87 families of a village---is how residents of Amethi celebrated the birthday of Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Gandhi, who represents Amethi in Parliament, turns 48 today.

The party workers said they wanted to see their "MP become the PM in 2019".

On the occasion, Congress activists led by Gandhi's representative Chandra Kant Dubey distributed domestic items to 87 families of Gajanpur Duaria village in Musafirkhana Tehsil. The families had lost their possessions in a devastating fire some days back.

Dubey said at least three petrol pumps in Amethi sold petrol and diesel at low prices to "show that prices will be controlled when Rahul Gandhi will be prime minister in 2019".

Some traders also sold goods at a discount of 10 per cent, stating that reduced prices would be a reality if Gandhi became the next prime minister of the country, he said.

Amethi parliamentary constituency contains five assembly segments namely, Amethi, Gauriganj, Jagdishpur (reserved) and Tiloi in Amethi district, and Salon (reserved) in Raebareli.

Four of these assembly segments are under the BJP rule and the remaining one is represented by the Samajwadi Party.

Congress had drawn a blank in the last assembly polls.