Rahul writes to voters of Amethi, promises speeding up development projects 'blocked' by BJP

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has made an emotional appeal to the voters of his Lok Sabha constituency, Amethi, ahead of the polling day and promised to give momentum to the development works allegedly "blocked" by the BJP government.

In a letter written to the members of his "Amethi pariwar" (Amethi family), Gandhi said he drew strength from them to stand firmly, listen to the woes of people and raise their voice.

"It is my promise to the people of Amethi that as soon as the Congress forms its government at the Centre, the schemes blocked by the BJP will be started. On May 6, vote in large numbers to bring back this member of the family," the three-time MP from the seat said in the letter.

The Congress president said his "Amethi pariwar" is aware that at the time of elections, those in the BJP start a "factory of lies" and run "rivers of cash" to draw voters, adding that the saffron party is not aware that Amethi's strength is its honesty, integrity and simplicity.

Comparing the ideology of the Congress with that of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he accused the latter of aiming to instal 15 to 20 industrialists as the owners of the government.

"Under the Congress system, the people are the owners, while under the BJP system, it is Anil Ambani," he said.

Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi said the letter would be posted on social media platforms and party workers would go door-to-door in Amethi with the message from the party president.

Polling for the ongoing Lok Sabha election will be held in Amethi, a Gandhi family bastion, in the fifth phase on May 6. The Congress chief is pitted against Union minister and BJP candidate Smriti Irani, whom he had defeated in the 2014 polls by a margin of over one lakh votes.