Priyanka Gandhi absent from Akhilesh Yadav, Dimple Yadav and Rahul Gandhi’s road show
VARANASI: Dimple Yadav will join chief minister Akhilesh Yadav for the first time this poll season in the joint road show with Congress vicepresident Rahul Gandhi in Varanasi on Saturday. Rahul’s sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will, however, not participate in the event.
Though there was speculation that she would be the face of the Congress’ UP campaign, Priyanka just appeared at two rallies in Rae Bareli and reluctantly spoke for about five minutes at one of them.
When the alliance with the Samajwadi Party was finalised, there were also reports that Priyanka and Dimple would appear together at few events, but it never happened.
Congress insiders, however, insisted that Priyanka had played an important role in the UP election campaign by strategising from behind the scenes. “She has been monitoring the election campaign, 24X7, and is in constant touch with campaign strategists and Congress leaders about the messaging, determination of locations of road shows and analysing the response.
UP elections has seen her maximum involvement this time,” a Congress insider said. The alliance had also planned to allow Akhilesh and Rahul hog all the attention and they were the two faces on the posters. In a few constituencies like Jaunpur, where Nadeem Javed of Congress is contesting, campaign material and hoardings do feature Priyanka and Dimple.
An eye injury to her son is also being cited for Priyanka keeping away from active campaigning. “It is over to 2019 now. Priyanka may enter active politics then to contest the Rae Bareli seat if Sonia Gandhi does not wish to contest,” said the Congress insider.
Dimple, on the other hand, is in active politics and cannot be compared to Priyanka, the insider said, adding that Congress had never officially announced that Priyanka would be the face of the UP campaign or hold rallies outside the family boroughs of Amethi and Rae Bareli. “The important question is who said so to the media,” the insider said.
Though there was speculation that she would be the face of the Congress’ UP campaign, Priyanka just appeared at two rallies in Rae Bareli and reluctantly spoke for about five minutes at one of them.
When the alliance with the Samajwadi Party was finalised, there were also reports that Priyanka and Dimple would appear together at few events, but it never happened.
Congress insiders, however, insisted that Priyanka had played an important role in the UP election campaign by strategising from behind the scenes. “She has been monitoring the election campaign, 24X7, and is in constant touch with campaign strategists and Congress leaders about the messaging, determination of locations of road shows and analysing the response.
UP elections has seen her maximum involvement this time,” a Congress insider said. The alliance had also planned to allow Akhilesh and Rahul hog all the attention and they were the two faces on the posters. In a few constituencies like Jaunpur, where Nadeem Javed of Congress is contesting, campaign material and hoardings do feature Priyanka and Dimple.
An eye injury to her son is also being cited for Priyanka keeping away from active campaigning. “It is over to 2019 now. Priyanka may enter active politics then to contest the Rae Bareli seat if Sonia Gandhi does not wish to contest,” said the Congress insider.
Dimple, on the other hand, is in active politics and cannot be compared to Priyanka, the insider said, adding that Congress had never officially announced that Priyanka would be the face of the UP campaign or hold rallies outside the family boroughs of Amethi and Rae Bareli. “The important question is who said so to the media,” the insider said.
