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Priyanka addresses SP meeting in Rae Bareli
Lucknow, May 2
Even as the top leadership of Congress and SP trade charges in the heat of elections, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday addressed a meeting of the Samajwadi Party, organised in Unchahar in Rae Bareli.
The meeting had been organised by SP MLA Manoj Pandey.
It is noteworthy that the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party are not contesting the Rae Bareli and Amethi seats and are supporting the Congress here.
While addressing the gathering, Priyanka Gandhi thanked the SP for supporting the Congress and helping in the fight against communal forces.
Later talking to reporters, the Congress leader denied that she had said anything about Congress putting up candidate to cut into votes.
"My statement has been misreported. I had said that the Congress is fighting and I would prefer to die rather than give any benefit to the BJP."
Priyanka plays with snake, charms onlookers
A new facet of her personality came to fore on Thursday when Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited a village of snake charmers in Rae Bareli to campaign for her mother Sonia Gandhi.
She went to the Hansa ka Purwa village and met the snake charmers. While talking to them about their problems, she picked up a black cobra and played with it.
The Congress workers and security personnel accompanying her were taken aback to see this but none had the courage to intervene.
"This is the first time that any 'neta' has visited our village and even shown the courage to touch a snake.
"In fact, whenever we have shown them snakes, they think we are doing it for money. But Priyanka is so fearless and she treated the snake like one treats a puppy," said Kishori Lal, a snake charmer.
Later, Priyanka addressed a number of street corner meetings where she criticised the BJP candidate Dinesh Pratap Singh who had claimed to be a loyal Congress leader till he was given a BJP ticket.
