Priyanka to hold roadshow in Varanasi

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will hold a roadshow Wednesday in the constituency represented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, her party said.

The Congress show of strength in the temple town comes nearly three weeks after Modi held his own roadshow here, a day before filing his nomination papers.

Congress leaders here said the party's local unit has made elaborate plans to pull in the crowds for Priyanka Gandhi's roadshow.

The roadshow will begin from Madan Mohan Malviya's statue at Banaras Hindu University gates, the spot from where Modi's well-attended event began on April 25.

Like Modi's roadshow, it will end at the Dashashwamedh ghat.

She will then offer prayers first at the Kashi Vishwanath temple and then at the Kaal Bhairav temple in Kotwali area, Congress district unit president Prajanath Sharma said.

The Congress has fielded Ajay Rai against Modi, after much speculation that Priyanka Gandhi, who is in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh for the party, may herself take on Modi.

The Samajwadi Party has nominated Shalini Yadav, as the opposition alliance candidate.

Ajay Rai and party spokesperson Pankhuri Pathak Tuesday released the party's manifesto for the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency.

The manifesto, Vachanpatra, promises that the party will work towards reinstating the temples which were demolished to build the Kashi Vishwanath corridor.

It also lists creation of jobs, boosting farmers' income and women's empowerment among various issues.

Meanwhile, 'sadhus' associated with the Vrindavan-based Ram Sena, headed by Vishnu Vinodam, is holding a yagna here for the Congress nominee.

We launched the yagna at the Assi ghat yesterday and will continue for the next three days for making the Congress party win the general election, Ram Sena member Neetu Narayani said.