Rajiv Gandhi Commemorated By Party Workers In Amethi

Congress workers paid rich tributes to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 79th birth anniversary on Sunday and carried out a 'sadbhavna rally'.

India's youngest prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi, held office during 1984-89. He was assassinated by an LTTE suicide bomber in 1991 in Tamil Nadu. Amethi has been a stronghold of the Congress party, having been represented by Rajiv Gandhi, his wife Sonia Gandhi, and son Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha.  

Rajiv Gandhi won the seat in 1981 bypolls (following the death of his brother Sanjay Gandhi), then in 1984, 1989, and in 1991. In 1991 general elections to the Parliament, Rajiv Gandhi won the election, but he was assassinated on May 21, a few days after polling in Amethi and even before other rounds of polling were completed.

Election process was postponed for a few days and votes were eventually counted in June 1991. He was declared winner after his death. The bye-election for the seat was won by Satish Sharma of the Congress.  According to general secretary of the district unit of the party Anil Singh, a programme was held at the party office in Gauriganj to commemorate the leader.Former district president of Congress Yogendra Mishra described Rajiv Gandhi "as the father of communication and computer revolution," who laid the foundation of Navodaya Vidyalayas and gave voting rights to 18 year olds.

Senior party leader Narsingh Bahadur Singh, after offering flowers on the portrait of Rajiv Gandhi, said that he brought Amethi global recognition by sending it on the path of development. Congress spokesperson Arvind Chaturvedi said that even today the memory of Rajiv ji is present in every house of Amethi. The party also organised athletics competitions both for men and women.