'Priyanka should undertake roadshows'

Congressmen feel that Priyanka should interact with people to boost the prospect of the party in Uttar Pradsesh.

Apparently buoyed by enthusiastic response received by Congress MP and her brother Rahul Gandhi during his roadshows in Uttar Pradesh, locals and leaders in this pocket-borough of Gandhi family are now demanding that Priyanka undertake similar yatras in the run up to assembly polls.

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"Priyanka should interact with the people like her brother...It will boost the prospect of the party in the state," said Prem Narayan Tewari, Congress general secretary of Sultanpur district.

He said Priyanka held more appeal among women.

R D Mishra, a Reader at the Indira Gandhi Degree College at Gauriganj, said she resembles former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

"She speaks Hindi fluently and freely mingles with women... Priyanka should come out now and canvass in favour of the congress candidates in the eastern UP," Mishra said.

Priyanka had in the past overseen the election of Sonia Gandhi from Raebareli and is more acceptable to people in the two districts of Sultanpur and Raebareli, said Akhilesh Shukla of Amethi town.

Priyanka, the daughter of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, arrived yesterday on a three-day visit to oversee poll campaigning in her brother Rahul's parliamentary constituency and talk to Congress cadres who had expressed their dissatisfaction over the choice of party nominees.
Incidentally, Rahul is on his fourth leg of roadshow campaigning for the party candidates in Assembly polls.