UP polls 2017: Priyanka Gandhi to attend first election rally in Raebareli today

Priyanka Gandhi is set to attend the first election rally in Uttar Pradesh on Friday when Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi launches a poll campaign in Rae Bareli. Congress sources said Rahul will address two rallies in Rae Bareli town and Maharajganj in support of party candidate Aditi Singh.

The sources said Priyanka will accompany Rahul to these rallies in Rae Bareli Assembly constituency on Friday. However, it was not clear whether she will address the rallies.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi represents Rae Bareli in the Lok Sabha, while Rahul is MP from neighbouring Amethi. Sonia has stayed away from the l campaign so far. The sources said she might address rallies in the constituency on February 18.

Assembly constituencies under Amethi and Rae Bareli go to polls in the 4th and 5th phase of polling in the state on February 23 and 27. Alliance partners Congress and Samajwadi Party are fighting with each other on several Assembly seats where both parties have fielded their candidates.

The sources said the alliance partners are fighting a "friendly" match in 23 constituencies, including two in Rae Bareli and two in Amethi, the bastions of the Gandhis. Congress has fielded Aditi Singh, the daughter of five-time MLA Akhilesh Kumar Singh, from the Rae Bareli Assembly constituency.

Akhilesh Singh, a local strongman, has passed on the baton to his 29-year-old daughter Aditi, who is pitted against BSP candidate Shahbaz Khan and BJP's Anita Srivastava.

In Unchahar in Rae Bareli district, Congress has fielded Ajaypal Singh and SP Manoj Kumar Pandey, besides in Sareniwhere Ashok Singh (Congress) is fighting a "friendly match" with Devendra Pratap Singh of SP. Both seats fall under Sonia's Lok Sabha constituency. Congress will be contesting in a total of 105 seats inUP, with its ally Samajwadi Party contesting from 298 out of atotal of 403 seats.