Sonia's rival touches feet of Congress leader in Rae Bareli during polling
Rae Bareli, May 6 (UNI): Dinesh Pratap Singh, a Congress loyalist-turned-defector, who is the BJP candidate against United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, from Rae Bareli, on Monday surprised the saffron brigade after he touched the feet of sitting MP's representative K.L. Sharma, during polling.
Sources confirmed that Mr Singh tried to hush up the issue, claiming that his move was 'apolitical' and just showed 'shistachar' (etiquette).
Earlier, Union home minister Rajnath Singh's son Pankaj Singh also touched the feet of Congress candidate from Lucknow, Acharaya Pramod Krishnam, claiming it just a part of etiquette. Rajnath is contesting against Krishnam from Lucknow Parliamentary seat.
Sources in the Congress confirmed that Dinesh Pratap Singh, was taking round of Rae Bareli constituency during polling on Monday when he as well as K.L. Sharma, representative of Sonia Gandhi, reached same booth. As the too came before each other, Singh touched the feet of Sharma to seek his blessings.
Earlier, Mr Sharma had raised objection over Mr Singh's candidature, claiming that when he was a Congress MLC as per records and had not resigned from the party, so how he could contest election from BJP.
Congress general secretary (east UP) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, while campaigning for her mother Sonia Gandhi in the constituency, also did not forget to mention BJP candidate's (Dinesh Pratap Singh) Congress background and her family's traditional connection with the people.
"The BJP candidate is the one, who used to call her sister, fell at her feet and promised not to ever her leave. If a person cannot be loyal to his leader or party, how can he or she be loyal to the people.
"Rae Bareli has been the 'karm bhoomi' of Indira (Gandhi) ji and Sonia ji is working here now. So, this is a holy land for us," she told people at all her public meetings, highlighting that Mr Singh had ditched the party and joined the rival BJP camp.
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