lok-sabha-elections

Updated: Jan 26, 2019 17:46 IST

Priyanka Gandhi, appointed the Congress’ general secretary for the politically crucial eastern Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, is likely to formally take over after a dip at the Sangam during the ongoing Kumbh Mela on February 4.

Party chief and brother Rahul Gandhi is expected to accompany her and they are also likely to hold a joint press conference jointly in Lucknow.

According to informed sources, the Gandhis have zeroed in on February 4 for the holy dip on the occasion of “Mauni Amavasya” and the second “Shahi Snan”, reported IANS news agency

But if they don’t get a chance to take a holy dip on February 4, they will opt for February 10 on the occasion of Basant Panchami and the 3rd ‘Shahi Snan”.

This is perhaps the first time that both will take a dip in the Sangam. In 2001, their mother and then Congress President Sonia Gandhi had attended the Kumbh Mela and taken a holy dip.

Priyanka Gandhi was Wednesday appointed the general secretary in-charge of UP East ahead of the upcoming 2019 polls, while Jyotiraditya Scindia was named general secretary in-charge of UP West.

Rahul Gandhi had on Friday said his sister’s entry was “a decision taken long ago”.

“I have been reading in media that this decision was taken 10 days ago. Actually this was taken long ago. I have been discussing with my sister about her joining politics. Her pushback to me was that her children were young and she needed to spend time with them,” he said at a town hall-style meeting organised by Odia daily Samaj.

Now, he added, “her children are grown-ups. Therefore, she decided to join politics”.

Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Singh Yadav today congratulated Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party on Priyanka Gandhi’s appointment, terming it a “right decision”.

“Young people are being given chance, Samajwadi Party is happy. I would like to congratulate Congress party and their President that they took a right decision,” he said, as per ANI news agency.

The Bharatiya Janata Party had used the opportunity to attack the “failure” of Rahul Gandhi and the party’s dynastic politics. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hit out at the party’s family rule while and Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said that it proved “Rahulji has accepted he can’t do politics all alone, and for that he is taking Priyanka’s help”.

The party also dismissed her appointment having any effect.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said Priyanka Gandhi’s entry into active politics would not have any impact on the outcome of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls as “zero plus zero results in zero” and her appointment was an extension of the “political dynasty” culture in the party.