On a rare occasion, Rahul Gandhi campaigned for a by-election. He was in Firozabad to campaign for Congress candidate Raj Babbar.

The Firozabad Lok Sabha by-election will see Raj Babbar take on Mulayam Singh's daughter-in-law Dimple Yadav.

Raj Babbar is a political novice facing charges of being a beneficiary of dynasty politics.

But with the Lodh vote dominating the caste equation in this constituency, and the Kalyan Singh factor helping Dimple Yadav, Raj Babbar does need the Rahul edge to pose a challenge. Rahul referred to the development agenda hoping to trigger reverse migration.

With almost two lakh Dalit voters in the constituency of 14 lakh voters, the overtures from the dais were obvious, and it was David Milibands visit to Amethi that Rahul used to drive home the point.

The Firozabad election is not just a by-election but it's a prestige issue for the Congress and Rahul Gandhi who are hoping that the party will continue on its revival in the state of Uttar Pradesh.