Priyanka tries to get a feel of UP politics, reviews Rahul’s yatra

Amid demands for a more active role for her ahead of 2017 assembly elections, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tried to get a feel of the state’s political scenario in a meeting in New Delhi on Monday.

She reviewed progress of the ongoing Rahul Sandesh Yatra, launched to take her brother and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi’s message to the people. After the meeting, the party decided to extend the Rahul Sandesh Yatra by 10 more days (after Diwali) from November 1 to 10.

The Congress had launched the Rahul Sandesh Yatra on October 15 to consolidate gains from Rahul’s Deoria-Delhi Yatra that concluded early this month. Rahul had gone from door to door to get signatures of farmers on a proforma to know about their loans.

So far, over a crore farmers have signed the proforma, hoping Rahul would take up their cause for loan waiver.

Presiding over a meeting of senior party leaders in New Delhi on Monday, Priyanka gathered feedback from the partymen about the response to Rahul Sandesh Yatra launched in different districts on October 15 and scheduled to conclude on October 27.

Though Priyanka did not give any indication about her campaigning in the 2017 assembly elections, she heard the party leaders and tried to find out about the prevailing organizational structure in different districts.

Much significance is being attached to Priyanka’s move as it comes at a time when the feud in the Samajwadi Party has assumed bigger dimensions and a number of party MLAs, including Rita Bahuguna Joshi, have left the Congress. “We hope she will campaign for party candidates in select assembly constituencies,” said a senior party leader who was present in Monday’s meeting.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary (incharge UP) Gulam Nabi Azad, Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) president Raj Babbar, AICC secretaries (incharges for different zones) and senior UPCC vice presidents were also among those present.

While leaders in charge of different districts and divisions briefed Priyanka about the organisational structure and response to the yatra, Azad informed her that the second phase of the Rahul Sandesh Yatra would be launched in all the districts again after Diwali.

“The response to Rahul Gandhi’s Deoria-Delhi Kisan Yatra was very good in all the areas. The Yatra is also evoking a good response in all the districts barring select districts of Bundelkhand and west UP,” said a party leader, adding, “We gave actual feedback to her about response to Rahul Sandesh Yatra.”