Priyanka makes pitch to reclaim family turf

AS the campaign for the phase five of the Lok Sabha elections ended on Saturday evening, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra made her final pitch for Congress candidate Kishori Lal Sharma who is locked in a fierce battle against Union minister and BJP's incumbent MP Smriti Irani.

- PREETHA NAIR

With elections two days away, enthusiasm among the Congress workers was palpable as the cavalcade of the Congress general secretary reached Amethi to hold a roadshow along with Sharma. Priyanka has been campaigning extensively for Rae Bareli and Amethi seats ever since Rahul Gandhi and Sharma filed nominations for the seats, respectively. Though it was speculated that the absence of Gandhi in the fray in Amethi may give MP Irani an edge in Amethi, the contest is turning out to be a tough one, says Uma Shankar Misra, a lawyer and a resident of the constituency.

"There is widespread discontent against the MP. I voted for the BJP in 2019 and now I have realised my mistake. We are confident that Sharma will win by a margin of two lakhs votes this time," says Misra, general secretary of the district bar association.