Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday discussed the party’s strategy for the Lok Sabha polls with AICC general secretaries and in-charges of various States at a meeting that was also attended by his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The spotlight at the meeting was on Priyanka, who took charge as AICC general secretary in-charge of the party’s affairs in Uttar Pradesh East on Wednesday, as she arrived at the party headquarters and headed straight for the meeting.
Sources said the party’s overall strategy for the Lok Sabha polls and booth-level organisation were discussed during the meet. Rahul has also called a meeting of State chiefs and Congress Legislature Party leaders on Saturday in the national capital, to review preparedness for the general election. Priyanka is also expected to attend the meeting.
At the AICC General Secretaries meeting, Priyanka was seated next to Jyotiraditya Scindia, who also took charge on Wednesday as AICC general secretary in-charge UP West.
The meeting had the participation of KC Venugopal, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mallikarjun Kharge.
AICC sources said Priyanka was deliberately not seated next to Rahul but away from him to give a message to senior party leaders that as the AICC Secretaries, they are as important as her who is also a General Secretary. Priyanka was given a seat next to Jyotiraditya Scindia. In the meeting it was also decided that Priyanka and Scindia alongwith Rahul will launch the Uttar Pradesh poll campaign on February 11 by conducting a road show in state capital Lucknow. Priyanka and Scindia will stay back in Lucknow till February 14 to interact with party workers and leaders.