Sonia, Mayawati set to start poll campaign in UP

Congress president Sonia Gandhi begins her poll campaign in Uttar Pradesh from February 1 from Deoria and Gonda while state chief minister Mayawati will start her campaign for the first phase of the state assembly elections from Sitapur and Barabanki on Wednesday.

"Sonia Gandhi would address election meetings in Gonda and Deoria on February 1", party general secretary and incharge of party affairs in Uttar Pradesh Digvijaya Singh said in Lucknow.

With polling in three states over, Congress star campaigners would now be concentrating on Uttar Pradesh from February 1. Priyanka Gandhi has also planned to camp in twin constituencies of Rae Bareli and Amethi from February 3 to campaign for party candidates for coming assembly elections.

According to KL Sharma, a representative of her brother Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka would address "nukkar sabhas" (roadside meetings) and take part in road shows during her stay in Rae Bareli and Amethi.

As of now there was no information of Priyanka campaigning anywhere other than these two constituencies where polling is scheduled for February 15 and 19.

Rahul has already attended rallies in Sitapur, Faizabad and Barabanki on Tuesday.

He would be holding meetings in Bahriach, Faizabad, Ambedkarnagar, Meerut, Varanasi, Jaunpur, Siddhartnagar, Sant Kabirnagar, Basti and Gonda among others in the next couple of days.

On the other hand, Uttar Pradesh chief minister and BSP supremo Mayawati will also begin her election campaign for the first phase of the state Assembly election from February 1.

She will address rallies in 12 districts of the state between February 1 and February 5, a BSP statement said. On February 1, Mayawati will address public meetings in Sitapur and Barabanki districts, it said.

The first round of the seven-phase polling will be held in 55 constituencies on February 8.

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