Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday began her official innings in politics ahead of the Lok Sabha elections with a mega roadshow along with her brother and Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow.
The brother-sister duo is also accompanied by Congress General Secretary in-charge for western Uttar Pradesh Jyotiraditya Scindia.
This is Priyanka’s maiden visit to Uttar Pradesh after she formally entered politics last month. The Congressmen are viewing the high profile visit as the first step towards the party’s revival in this politically important state.
Onboard an open top bus, the leaders were seen waving to a sea of supporters who had gathered to catch a glimpse of them.
The approximately 20-km long roadshow started from Amausi airport to the Nehru Bhawan office of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, seen as the Congress’ trump card for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, announced her entry into politics as the party’s general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh on January 23.
Ahead of her visit to the state, a group of party workers geared up to work as her “army”, complete with a pink uniform that has her photo and a message. They call themselves the ‘Priyanka Sena’.
The Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters has been witnessing hectic activity with a steady flow of partymen determined to make the most of the event with the “Indira is back” slogan being heard everywhere.
Earlier on Sunday, in a message to party supporters and voters, Priyanka Gandhi said she hopes to start a “new kind of politics” in which “everyone will be a stakeholder”.
“… I have hope in my heart that together we will start a new kind of politics, a politics in which all of you will be stakeholders — my young friends, my sisters and even the weakest person, all their voices will be heard,” said Gandhi through the Congress’s Shakti App.
“Come, let’s build a new future, new politics with me. Thank you,” she added.
While the Congress president will leave on Monday, Priyanka and Scindia will stay put in the state capital till 14 February. During this time the two will interact with the party workers from 80 Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. While Priyanka will concentrate on 42 seats of eastern UP, Scindia will focus on 38 seats of western UP.
Priyanka’s first meeting is scheduled with the workers of the Mohanlalganj (reserved) constituency while the last interaction slated for Thursday will be with the workers of the Misrikh (reserved) Lok Sabha seat.
Also, in the itinerary, is her interaction with Congressmen of Varanasi, the constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Gorakhpur, a turf of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Rahul Gandhi had earlier asked the newly appointed Uttar Pradesh in-charges to strengthen the party in the state in “mission-mode”.