Amethi has been represented by a member of the Gandhi family for three quarters of the last 29 years.
Sanjay Gandhi was elected from Amethi in 1980, Rajiv won a by-election in 1981 and elections in 1984 and 1989 (he also won the 1991 election posthumously), Sonia won in 1999 and Rahul in 2004. Captain Satish Sharma, Rajiv's old friend, won in 1996 while Sanjay Singh, the BJP candidate defeated Captain Sharma in the 1998 election.
Though the seat-sharing talks between the Samajwadi Party and Congress broke down, the SP decided against fielding a candidate against Rahul. The Congress has reciprocated by not fielding a candidate against SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav in Mainpuri.
Pradeep Singh, the BJP's candidate in Amethi, is confident he will emerge a giant killer. The way Ravindra Pratap Singh, the Janata Party candidate, defeated Rahul's uncle Sanjay Gandhi in the 1977 election.
"The people of Amethi have been fooled enough by the Gandhi family. Now they want answers," says Singh.
"There is no reason why the people of Amethi should not get electricity. Rahul cannot pass on the blame to Mayawati and relax in Delhi. He must come here and solve the problem. He comes here only once in a month, sometimes once in three months, and we all suffer due to the power cuts," adds Singh. "People will oust Rahul from Amethi this time."
"I am confident that I will defeat him by more than one lakh votes," he declares.
The Congress won three -- Amethi, Jagdishpur and Salon -- of the five assembly constituencies in the 2007 state election. The SP won Tiloi while the BSP won Gauri Ganj.
Image: BJP candidate Pradeep Singh.
Also read: UP election is all about Maya's deeds or misdeeds | Coverage: India Votes 2009
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