Priyanka evasive on active role

Congress spokesperson Ajoy Kumar said Priyanka, who had hitherto limited herself to Amethi and Rae Bareli Parliamentary seats represented by her brother Rahul Gandhi and mother Sonia respectively, played an ‘active role’ along with senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad in putting together an alliance with Samajwadi Party. Kumar said Priyanka was following ‘instructions’ from Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, “who can assign a role to any party worker”. 

“Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been active in the two Parliamentary seats of Amethi and Rae Bareli purely out of her choice and we respect that. “As far as UP elections are concerned, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi requested Ghulam Nabi Azad ji and Priyanka ji for sewing the alliance of progressive, like-minded parties,” he said when asked about the role she played in bringing about the tie-up in UP. 

When asked about the role she could play in the state in future, the Congress leader said, “The workers of the Congress party and everybody else are desirous of Priyanka Gandhi playing a larger role. As and when that happens you will be duly informed.”

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in his new role as Samajwadi Party National President will kick off his party’s election campaign from Sultanpur on Tuesday, enthused after his victory in the power game within the Yadav clan. 

“Akhileshji will address a rally in Sultanpur on Tuesday,” SP Spokesperson Rajendra Choudhury said. This will be the Chief Minister’s first election rally in the state after he was coroneted as the head of the ruling party, replacing father Mulayam Singh Yadav, who has been made SP patron.

As Sultanpur figures in the fifth phase of polling on February 27, Akhilesh’s decision to start the campaign from there left party workers wondering as to why he ignored the places going to polls in the first or second phase. Choudhury said Akhilesh will address another rally in Lakhimpur on January 25 and added that detailed tour programmes of the CM would be announced very soon. Five constituencies in Sultanpur district will go to polls in the fifth phase on February 27. 

Akhilesh released the ‘please all’ SP manifesto on Sunday with focus on women and youth empowerment and has been busy finalising list of candidates after forging an alliance with Congress ‘to keep communal forces at bay’.

The supporters of ‘disgruntled’ sitting Samajwadi Party MLAs, whose names did not figure in the first list of candidates in the home district of party president Akhilesh Yadav, owing allegiance to Mulayam Singh Yadav and his younger brother Shivpal Yadav, launched a new outfit called ` Mulayam Ke Log ’ here on Sunday. The leaders of the new front on Monday said that they will announce future strategy in a day or two.