Jayant, Rahul woo first-time voters, Gen Next

Shamli (Uttar Pradesh) - Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Jayant Chaudhary and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi joined hands Wednesday in this newly-formed district headquarters to woo first-time voters and youth ahead of the penultimate round of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.

The young leaders, Chaudhary, 33, grandson of former prime minister Charan Singh and Gandhi, 41, grandson of late prime minister Indira Gandhi and son of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, are prominent youth leaders of their parties, which have tied-up for the state polls.

"All those who are voting for the first time raise your hands," said Gandhi at the meeting and hundreds of youngsters, some of them standing on boundary walls and roofs, raised their hands in response.

"You, people have a special opportunity and responsibility. You can bring development to Uttar Pradesh," he said to sustained applause from thousands of people who packed the local Vaish College grounds in this town, 100 km from Delhi.

"Feb 28 is going to be a day which will mark a new history in a new direction for the youth and the people at large," Chuadhary told the audience, hinting at the polling day in the western parts of ther state.

The meeting had another youth icon, former cricketer-turned-MP, Mohammed Azharuddin, who hailed Gandhi's consistent work for development of Uttar Pradesh and appealed for support.

"I understand there are 135 seats in western Uttar Pradesh. If not a century, the Congress-RLD should at least score 99," said the former Indian team captain.

Pointing out the work done by Congress governments, Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda, son of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda, pointed out that diesel was supplied to farmers in the neighouring Haryana at lower rates than Uttar Pradesh and the old-age pension was nearly double in the state.

Gandhi repeated his popular campaign theme that a "magic elephant", referring to the symbol of the Bahujan Samaj Party, had been eating the funds provided by the central government while the people of the state were engaged in minor jobs in Mumbai and other cities.

"I told (US President Barack) Obama that India will arise when the people of Uttar Pradesh awake," Gandhi said about Obama's observation during his visit that Indians were overtaking Amercians in several fields.

Political circles here said that the developmental theme of the duo with a focus on the youth was well received in this RLD-stronghold.

But the organisers also took care to bring leaders from the two influential communities - Chaudhary and Hooda from the Jats and Azharuddin and former union minister Rasheed Masood from the Muslims, they pointed out.