Will fight election in Rajiv Gandhi's name: Congress Varanasi candidate

VARANASI: Congress leader Ajay Rai, who is contesting against Narendra Modi in Varanasi, said on Wednesday he would give a tough fight to the prime minister.

"I am declaring that I will fight this Lok Sabha election in the name of (former prime minister) Rajiv Gandhi ji and also vow to give a tough fight to Modi from the Varanasi seat," Rai said at a press conference here.

Rai claimed that former Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav's Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) had extended its support to the Congress candidates of Varanasi and Chandauli to defeat the "communal" forces and stop them from coming to power.


The Congress leader said the people would end Modi's "arrogance" this time in the polls. "All his atrocities on the people will end after the elections, as he (Modi) had even demolished temples to pave way for the (Kashi-Vishwanath) corridor," Rai alleged.

He accused Modi of imposing a fee of Rs 550 on devotees visiting the Kashi Vishwanath, in an apparent reference to the special darshan facility at the temple.

"If the Congress comes to power, then this kind of 'jizya' (tax) will go away and also an inquiry will be set up to probe those people involved in building the corridor in Varanasi.