Priyanka stitched Cong’s UP pact

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 23

As Congress president Sonia Gandhi prepares to retire, her children — Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra — appear firmly in the party’s saddle.

In a first today, the Congress officially acknowledged that Priyanka Vadra worked alongside AICC general secretary (Uttar Pradesh) Ghulam Nabi Azad in stitching the pre-poll alliance with the Samajwadi Party.

“Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi gave the responsibility of forging an alliance in UP to Azad and Priyanka. You have seen a wonderful pact in place. The role assigned was executed and implemented to perfection,” Congress spokesperson Ajoy Kumar said today, a day after Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel revealed that Priyanka, along with Azad, was involved in alliance talks with the UP Chief Minister and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.

This acknowledgment apart (considering it is an open secret that Priyanka was involved in Congress’ UP strategy from the beginning), the party continued to remain cagey about the younger Gandhi sibling’s future political role.

“You will know of the role as and when it is decided,” party’s official spokesman said about Priyanka at a time when she is silently evolving as de facto political adviser to brother Rahul, who heeds her counsel on everything.

Since Rahul distanced himself from party strategist Prashant Kishor over concerns around the latter’s UP poll strategy, Priyanka has been dealing with Kishor on her brother’s behalf.

So much so, the entry of former cricketer and BJP leader Navjot Singh Sidhu and his wife into the Congress was formalised by Priyanka along with Kishor, which is why most Punjab leaders kept feigning ignorance about the move till the last minute. Rahul met Sidhu only after his sister had finalised everything.

In most UP election strategy meetings, Priyanka has been a regular feature even her brother has been absent.

Recently, she oversaw the Congress preparations for the party’s January 11 national convention against demonetisation at Talkatora stadium. Sonia skipped this convention where Rahul spoke on her behalf. “The two of them are deciding practically everything now,” said a senior Congress leader.

Congress for its part wants to keep the future launch plan of Priyanka a secret, with Ajoy Kumar today saying: “Priyanka Gandhi has long confined herself to Amethi and Rae Bareli, the Lok Sabha segments of her brother and mother, respectively, and the party has always respected her privacy. She played a larger role in Congress on Rahul’s request.”