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Priyanka's Amethi visit rattled Mayawati: Cong

"The chief minister is free to come and go anywhere she likes [in UP]. But the timing of her decision to hold a rally in Amethi [Gandhi's parliamentary constituency] is certainly curious considering that Priyanka just returned from there," Singhvi told rediff.com

"Priyanka's visit has shaken a lot of sleeping consciences in the state. I, therefore, wonder why Mayawati has promptly decided to hold a rally in Amethi, which her party had largely ignored all these years," he pointed out.

Priyanka elicited widespread interest by picking up cudgels on behalf of a dalit in Punnpur village, Amethi. An upper-caste Thakur had allegedly demolished the house of the dalit, and the district administration had turned a blind eye towards him. The Amethi sub-divisional magistrate, on being confronted by Priyanka, assured her that the dalit's house would be rebuilt.

The chief minister apparently could not stomach Priyanka's sympathy towards the dalit community, whose cause she espouses.

Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Arun Kumar Singh Munna said, "It is crystal clear to everybody that Priyanka has made a lasting impression on the voters, especially dalits, in Amethi and we hope that she would continue her good work in the days and weeks to come."

He added: "It is a tribute to her [Priyanka's] voter-appeal that even the UP chief minister has thought it prudent to follow her footsteps. For us, it is a godsend."

"Mayawati is confused. She speaks against the upper castes and then befriends them at the expense of the weaker sections. She may resort to any gimmick [in Amethi], but the voters are Congress loyalists," he pointed out.