FAMILY SUPPORT: Priyanka Gandhi, polling agent and daughter of Congress president Sonia Gandhi in Rae Bareli on Saturday. — Photo: AP

RAE BARELI: Congress president Sonia Gandhi's election agent Priyanka Gandhi said here on Saturday that her brother Rahul's "hard work" would ensure a massive victory for their mother in the May 8 byelection to this Lok Sabha constituency.

"I will say what everybody in this constituency knows — whoever may come, Soniaji will win. I welcome them," Ms. Priyanka told reporters.

"There is no force which can defeat Sonia Gandhi. I invite you [the media] to name a person who can defeat her," she said.

Praise for Rahul

Ms. Priyanka lavished praise on Mr. Rahul, saying he had done a good job of organising party workers by travelling through the constituency for the last 10 days. "I think the result will be good," she said. "Rahul has worked very hard ... the credit goes to him."

Earlier, Ms. Priyanka chaired a meeting of Congress booth agents and asked them to ensure a big turnout by voters. "There is nothing to be worried about. The situation this time is different," she told them.

She also met party workers and told them about their responsibilities on the polling day and later on the counting day.

Ms. Gandhi is seeking re-election from Rae Bareli after quitting as MP following allegations that she was holding an office of profit.

Rahul leaves Rae Bareli

In deference to the Election Commission's guidelines, Mr. Gandhi left the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency on Saturday after giving some finishing touches to his mother's poll campaign.

He addressed about half-a-dozen public meetings before leaving ahead of the end of campaigning at 5 p.m. but had to skip some of them due to paucity of time.

Special request

While seeking votes for his mother, he made a special request to women to come out in large numbers and said they should not lose the opportunity to exercise their franchise.

Not left to chance

As the din and bustle of the high-voltage campaign came to an end, Ms. Gandhi is said to be sitting pretty in the race involving BJP's Vinay Katiyar and others.

Despite her hold on the constituency, Ms. Gandhi, who campaigned only for two days, left nothing to chance in the 16-cornered contest in which the SP, the BJP and the Apna Dal appeared to be the only other serious candidates.

The SP, which had emerged second in the 2004 elections, has put up Raj Kumar Chaudhary, son-in-law of senior party leader Beni Prasad Verma.

Uma Bharti campaign

Expelled BJP leader Uma Bharati is vigorously backing Apna Dal candidate Prabha Singh Lodhi.

This is the first Lok Sabha byelection from Uttar Pradesh since BJP chief Rajnath Singh, who hails from the State, has taken over the party mantle from L.K. Advani.

The BSP has come out in support of Ms. Gandhi, indicating a warming up of ties between the Mayawati-led party and the Congress ahead of next year's Assembly elections. — PTI

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