A new facet of her personality came to fore on Thursday when Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited a village of snake charmers in Rae Bareli to campaign for her mother Sonia Gandhi.

She went to the Hansa ka Purwa village and met the snake charmers. While talking to them about their problems, she picked up a black cobra and played with it.

The Congress workers and security personnel accompanying her were taken aback to see this but none had the courage to intervene.

"This is the first time that any 'neta' has visited our village and even shown the courage to touch a snake.

"In fact, whenever we have shown them snakes, they think we are doing it for money. But Priyanka is so fearless and she treated the snake like one treats a puppy," said Kishori Lal, a snake charmer.

Later, Priyanka addressed a number of street corner meetings where she criticised the BJP candidate Dinesh Pratap Singh who had claimed to be a loyal Congress leader till he was given a BJP ticket.

--IANS

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