Cong remains evasive on Priyanka role

The Congress on Wednesday was speaking in different voices over Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra’s role in party affairs, with a section of leaders maintaining that she had always shown a keen interest in organisational matters and liked to keep herself updated.

At the AICC briefing, Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala insisted that the meeting Priyanka had with party strategists on Tuesday was merely a “courtesy” shown to senior leaders who were already having a meeting at vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s residence.

An AICC general secretary, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Priyanka had been holding meetings with party leaders on a regular basis and it was only on Tuesday that the media got to know about it.

The party was evasive on the role Priyanka would play in the Congress or whether she would attend the AICC meeting next Friday. “This question is currently hypothetical. Wait for the meeting to happen,” Surjewala said.

A senior leader said Priyanka would step out of her areas of focus – Amethi and Rae Bareli – the constituencies of Rahul and Sonia Gandhi respectively.

Meanwhile, a day after Priyanka attended a meeting with senior Congress leaders, she met party chief Sonia Gandhi. The mother-daughter duo later went separately to the residence of Rahul.

These consultations came in the wake of intense speculations that Priyanka may contest the Lok Sabha elections from Rae Bareli, while the Congress president may move to the Rajya Sabha. However, two AICC general secretaries rejected such a possibility.

‘She will choose’

Another leader made it clear that Priyanka had always chosen her own role and “we should leave it at that”.

“We should let Priyanka Gandhi decide it. So far, she has been taking interest only in the two constituencies. She has always been very categorical that she will restrict her role to two constituencies,” he said. “She may not be seen as participating in active politics but she is an active member of the Congress for long. She has her own opinions on political issues and has been discussing with party workers from time to time,” AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said on Tuesday.

A senior Congress leader said she may remain in the background and focus more on formulating strategies.