Cong hopes charming Priyanka will help win UP

The Congress is counting on “overpowering charisma and magnetism” of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to fetch results for the party in next year’s crucial assembly elections in UP.

The Congress is counting on “overpowering charisma and magnetism” of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to fetch results for the party in next year’s crucial assembly elections in UP.

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Alongside Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s proposed high-pitch campaign, Congress leaders believe Priyanka’s involvement will boost the party's chances in UP.

While Rahul will formally sound the election bugle from Lucknow in November, top party sources said Priyanka may hit the campaign trail at a later stage. “She will join the campaign when elections are near. There are strong indications that she will campaign extensively in UP this time, and not restrict to Rae Bareli and Amethi only,” said a senior party functionary.

The party’s election campaign committee, headed by Union coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal, has been flooded with requests from candidates, senior state leaders and probable aspirants for Priyanka to campaign in their constituencies. The Congress has so far declared around 130 names for the UP polls.

“The demand (for Priyanka's campaign involvement) is coming from everywhere. It is not possible for her to campaign in each and every constituency... Some selection has to be done,” the source said.

Out of power since 1989 in UP, the Congress is desperately seeking to regain its lost political ground in the country’s most populous and fourth-largest state area-wise.

While no immediate programme has been finalised for Congress president Sonia Gandhi, she may also hit the campaign trail at a later stage.

“She is likely to address a few public meetings in the run up to the elections in Uttar Pradesh,” the source said, and added that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will also campaign for the party by addressing rallies ahead of the polling date in UP.