The Samajwadi Party announced on Thursday that Rajkumar Chowdhury would be its candidate against Congress president Sonia Gandhi [Images] in the by-poll to Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency. This was announced by SP general secretary Amar Singh at a press conference.

Singh said Chowdhury would give a 'tough fight' to Gandhi. He said the candidate is from Rae Bareli and an active worker of the party.

"We will fight the elections with all our might. It will not be a symbolic fight," he said. "Nirbal ki larai dhanwan se, ye kahani hai diye ki aur toofan ki. Soniaji ko lohe ke chane chabane parenge (this is a fight between the rich and the poor, this is the story of an earthen lamp and the storm. We shall make Soniaji sweat and offer a tough fight)."

Chowdhury is the son-in-law of senior SP leader and Lok Sabha member Beni Prasad Verma, Singh said. Citing the example of the former socialist leader Rajnarain, Singh said Chowdhury, too, would create history.

"We shall make Rajkumar the prince of Rae Bareli," he said, adding the SP candidate is a 'good person'.

Rejecting an assertion that fielding an insignificant candidate against Gandhi amounted to giving her a walk over, he said the party was committed to take the contest seriously. "Chowdhury may be unknown but from today onwards his name will be known to the world," he said.

Singh said he and party president Mulayam Singh Yadav would be campaigning for the election.

Replying to a question, he said Jaya Bachhan's name was never considered for contesting from Rae Bareli - "She was disqualified from Rajya Sabha and she will go there again."

He said he would have contested the Rae Bareli by-to election had he been ordered by the party.

Singh said the SP was strong in Rae Bareli as it had four MLAs from the constituency besides the district panchayat chief's post. He said the Rae Bareli bypoll had been thrust upon the people as it was the Congress, which started all this controversy about the office of profit.

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