Cong plans several programmes in Amethi to mark Rajiv Gandhi's birth anniversary

Amethi (UP): The Congress party in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi parliamentary constituency, which former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi represented four times, will organise a number of programmes, including a half-marathon, tomorrow on his birth anniversary.

Yogendra Mishra, president of Amethi District Congress Committee, and Chandra Kant Dubey, representative of Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi, said the party will organise a rural half-marathon, hold a presentation of folk song Alha, competitive events for school students and honour senior party leaders and others.

Alha is kind of ‘lokgeet’, sung in the season of rains in most of eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, based on the heroic deeds of brave Rajpoot warriors Alha and Udal. Rajiv Gandhi was born on August 20 in 1944. He represented Amethi in parliament in 1981, 1984, 1989 and 1991.

The Congress has also decided to collect photographs of Rajiv Gandhi from Amethi residents to mark the day, and will organise a week-long exhibition titled “Hamare Rajiv” at the party office in Gauriganj, the district headquarter.

Party activist Jagdish Piyush said Rajiv Gandhi was one of the most humble and simple politician whom the people of Amethi called “Bhaiya”.