Priyanka Gandhi is all set to take a plunge into the Uttar Pradesh electoral battle as a star campaigner for the Congress party. After Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s whirlwind tour of the State, the party is now charting the schedules for Priyanka’s roadshows, rallies and public meetings in various parts of Uttar Pradesh. Party sources said Priyanka will join the poll campaign after the festive seasons, perhaps by early December.
A senior party leader confirmed that Priyanka would address around 150 public meetings, rallies and roadshows during her first leg of UP tour on demand of the party workers from the State. For long, Congress leaders have been demanding that Priyanka should be roped for party’s poll campaign in a bigger way. Party sources said that Priynaka may begin the campaign on Sonia Gandhi’s birthday on December 9 with the party likely to organise a mega show that day in Allahabad. Congress sources confirmed that Sonia visited Allahabad and also went to Anand Bhawan couple of months ago for the purpose.
Rahul Gandhi ended his month-long Kisan Yatra last week in the national Capital where he goofed up by making the infamous “Khoon Ki Dalali” comment. However, party sources said that Rahul’s Kisan Yatra was a hit.
“Rahul’s Kisan Yatra was definitely impactful and has energised the grassroots workers. His 3,500 km yatra spanning a month brought an unprecedented amount of enthusiasm within the party cadres.
Now to maintain the synergy of the energy generated by the Gandhi scion, Priyanka would certainly campaign to further strengthen the party in UP. She is in regular touch with local leaders, particularly Rahul who represents Amethi and her mother Sonia who represents Rae Bareily in the lok Sabha. Priyanka has already done morale boosting exercise and UP campaign is not new to her,” said a senior party functionary looking into UP affairs.
While the party workers have been insisting that the Congress could not hope to revive its lost ground in UP without Priyanka taking the lead role in campaign, poll strategist Prashant Kishore has also reportedly asked the leadership to draft Priyanka in the campaign.