In Photos: Sonia Takes the Poll Battle to Modi’s Turf in Varanasi

Party workers lined up on both sides of the road from the airport and raised slogans welcoming Sonia Gandhi.

Sonia Gandhi waves at supporters in Varanasi. (Photo: The Quint)

Congress President Sonia Gandhi today launched her party’s campaign for the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election with a massive roadshow in Varanasi in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s turf.

She arrived to a rousing welcome in Varanasi on Tuesday, with party workers lining up on both sides of the road from the airport and raising slogans hailing her.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@INCIndia)

Dozens of mini trucks prominently displayed posters with ‘27 Saal, UP Behaal’ (27 years of UP’s distress) written on them. Placards carried by hundreds of workers also had the same slogan written on them.

The streets of Varanasi are filled with banners of Congress president Sonia Gandhi along with local leaders in the region in anticipation of the roadwalk. (Photo: Rohan Jaiswal)

Thousands of Congress supporters and workers took part in the roadshow from the Circuit House to Englishiya Line, a distance of about eight kilometres.

Swarms of people surround Sonia Gandhi in Kashi. (Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@INCIndia)

Besides the party’s chief ministerial candidate Sheila Dikshit, AICC General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, state party chief Raj Babbar and senior leaders Pramod Tiwari and Sanjay Singh accompanied Gandhi.

Sonia Gandhi pays homage to BR Ambedkar’s statue. (Photo: The Quint)

Sonia Gandhi greets people from inside her car. (Photo: The Quint)

Sonia Gandhi waves at her supporters. (Photo: The Quint)

Supporters of the Congress hold party flags. (Photo: The Quint)

Supporters of Congress crowd around Sonia Gandhi’s car. (Photo: The Quint)

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@thechaupal)

People come out in roads of Varanasi to show support to the Congress. (Photo: The Quint)

Children hold Congress party flags. (Photo: The Quint)