Priyanka Gandhi to launch Congress poll campaign from Kashi on October 9

LUCKNOW : Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is likely to launch her party’s election campaign on October 9 by addressing her first public rally at Varanasi, the Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Yes, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will address her first public rally at Varanasi on October 9. This is going to be a grand event. We are in the process of deciding the venue and a formal announcement will be made soon,” said a senior party leader after attending a meeting that Priyanka presided over here on Tuesday.

Priyanka, who arrived on a 5-day visit here on Monday, reviewed her party’s preparedness for 2022 assembly elections. She discussed with party leaders the modalities of her programme for public rallies, route for 12,000-km long “Pratigya Yatras” to start in the 2nd week of October and setting up of war rooms in assembly constituencies, strengthening of the party’s organisational structure and the ongoing training programmes for party cadres in UP.

“We have already begun preparations for the Varanasi rally. This is going to be a grand rally being organised to give a message of change to people across the state,” said Rajesh Mishra, senior Congress leader and former Varanasi MP.

UP Congress Committee has, meanwhile, extended date for submitting applications from aspirants of party ticket to Oct 10. Priyanka also discussed the issue of selection of candidates at a meeting. Senior party leaders, including members of screening committee and party’s manifesto committee, are also expected to reach here on Thursday. “What Congress Priyanka is doing now should have been done much earlier. Varanasi is Lok Sabha seat of PM Narendra Modi. So, the Congress will obviously use the occasion to target the BJP government. The Congress is launching its election campaign now and people will obviously know about the party’s programmes etc. The Congress may get some benefit from its campaign. How much the party is able to get benefits from the election campaign will be known only after the poll results,” said prof SK Dwivedi, former head of department, political science, Lucknow University.