Looks like Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is ready to finally join active politics in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
After months of deliberations and flirting with the idea of projecting former Delhi chief minister, Sheila Dikshit, as its face for UP polls next year, Congress looks set to name Priyanka Vadra as the leader of its campaign in the State, reports The Hindu.
It will be a mind blowing campaign. From our calculations she [Priyanka] will cover an average of 2.5 assembly constituencies in the next six months.Satya Dev Tripathi, Congress spokesperson, Uttar Pradesh
Reports of this move first emerged after Congress hired poll strategist Prashant Kishor as its election campaign manager for Uttar Pradesh in February 2016.
She [Priyanka] is even taking interest in discussing district-level manifestos that are drafted by Prashant’s team.Senior Congress leader to The Hindu
The move represents a major step up for Priyanka, as it will be the first time that she moves out of Rae Barelli and Amethi, constituencies where she has campaigned for the Congress in the past.
The announcement is expected at a convention in Lucknow in mid-July, by Rahul Gandhi who will launch the campaign and present his sister, Priyanka, as the face of the campaign.
A report published in DNA says that in recent weeks, Priyanka Gandhi has held meetings with Congress general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad over the matter to better understand the situation in UP.
Azad had earlier publicly stated that he hopes this time Priyanka will move out of Amethi and Rai Bareilly.
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh had also hinted that the party favours Priyanka getting into active politics.
As far as we (Congress) are concerned, we will be very happy if she comes into active politics.Digvijay Singh, Indian National Congress
Earlier, posters outside the party office in Lucknow had come up, imploring Priyanka to “Save Uttar Pradesh” by campaigning for “every Congressman across the state”.
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