A 'hyperactive' Priyanka gives jitters to rivals in UP

When BSP supremo Mayawati and the Samajwadi Party (SP) took potshots at Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over the latter's visits to the kin of those killed in alleged police firing during the CAA protests in Uttar Pradesh and termed them ''political gimmick'', they were only trying to protect the support base of their own parties from the Congress leader.

That Priyanka is indeed hyperactive in the politically crucial state of UP could be gauged from the fact that she had visited the state over a dozen times in the past six months.

Striving hard to strengthen the Congress at the grass-root level, Priyanka, during her visits, held meetings with the ordinary party workers, revamped the state party unit and conducted training sessions for them.

She not only sidelined the old guards and ignored their threats to form a separate outfit but also brought in fresh and young leaders and gave them important positions in the organisation.

Even while in Delhi, Priyanka keeps a tab on the developments in the state and react to them on social media. A majority of her tweets has been about the incidents in UP.

In fact, many of her tweets on the incidents of crimes in the state forced the government to take action against the culprits. Irked over her tweets, UP deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya even called Priyanka a ''twitter leader''.

The Congress leader, who was also the in-charge of the state, has been trying hard to win back the old vote bank of her party comprising the Brahmins, SCs and the Muslims.

Congress' 'Brahmin face' Jitin Prasada even embarked on a statewide campaign to ensure justice to the Brahmin families, which had lost their members in the incidents of crime.

Apparently preparing her party for the next assembly polls in the state in 2022, Priyanka was currently busy in forming a special team of party workers to work at booth levels.

The Congress leader, who had hit the streets on issues ranging from increasing crimes against the women to the CAA, also established contact with thousands of people from different walks of life through letters on the new year.

''UP is a priority for Priyankaji.....she listens to every party worker before taking decisions,'' remarked UP Congress president Ajai Kumar Lallu.

SP leader Ram Govind Chaudhary, however, says that Priyanka is resorting to 'gimmicks' to be in the limelight rather than focussing on serious issues.

It remains to be seen if Priyanka is able to revive the fortune of the grand old party in the state.