Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will be launching her campaign for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections from Allahabad on November 19, which is the birth anniversary of her grandmother, the late Indira Gandhi.
The choice to lauch her campaign from Allahabad is significant since the Nehru-Gandhi family home, Anand Bhawan, is located in the city.
Ms Vadra will pay homage to family ancestors before embarking on her first campaign outside Rae Bareli and Amethi, the constituencies of her mother Sonia Gandhi and brother Rahul Gandhi.
According to highly placed sources in the Congress, the route map of Ms Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s campaign is being drafted.
“She will be campaigning for those seats where the Congress is in a good position and only a push will be needed to win the seat. We have identified around 100 seats and Ms Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will be campaigning in about 50 seats in the first phase,” said a party strategist.
In her speeches, Ms Vadra is expected to lay emphasis on the need to strengthen her brother Rahul, thus sending a clear message that she is not ready to take over party responsibilities and is campaigning only to help her brother to revive the Congress in Uttar Pradesh.
Ms Vadra, however, will not be sharing the dais at any meeting with her mother Sonia or brother Rahul. Party sources said that barring a few paces, Ms Vadra will mostly be campaigning on her own.
However, all party posters will show Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Ms Vadra in equal prominence.
“Mr Rahul Gandhi’s campaign will end in October and we will be preparing an impact report on his Kisan Yatra. Ms Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will lead the second phase of the campaign in November and Mrs Sonia Gandhi will campaign in the final phase,” the source said.
A dedicated group of workers are already drafting the talking points of her speeches that will be specific to various constituencies.
“Priyanka mostly speaks extempore, but we have been asked to list out issues that are specific to important constituencies,” the source added.
