Why not given role with greater responsibility: BJP on Priyanka's entry in politics

New Delhi: The BJP on Wednesday raised doubts over the formal entry of Priyanka Gandhi in active politics, saying why she was not given a bigger role with greater responsibility to commensurate with her persona.

While addressing the media here after Priyanka's appointment as General Secretary, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "Priyanka Ji has become the General Secretary, my good-luck to her. Since the party is a family concern, these kinds of postings are nothing unusual, except to say with a caveat, why has she been given a limited role of only Eastern UP? Perhaps her persona merited a wider role for her".

Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal too hit out at the Rahul Gandhi led Congress alleging that the move is a confirmation that the party has failed and no political party is willing to join hands with them in any state.

She told ANI, "It is a stamp by Congress and Rahul Gandhi on their utter failure. No ‘gathbandhan’ wants to shake hands with Congress in any state. They were becoming irrelevant; they had to play this Eastern UP card to ensure Rahul and Sonia Ji’s seats".

Accusing the party of being involved in dynasty politics, Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal said, "In the Congress party there is reservation only for one family, nobody gets anything beyond them".

Earlier today, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra downplayed the development, terming it as "expected".

Patra accused the Congress of promoting dynastic politics, saying that they consider the Gandhi family as the party."This was expected. To promote dynasty is what Congress is all about. They consider family as the party while BJP considers party as the family. Congress has accepted that Rahul Gandhi Ji has failed," Patra told ANI.

Echoing similar views, Union Minister and BJP's Uttar Pradesh in-charge JP Nadda, took a jibe at the Congress, claiming that by this move the Congress has in a way officially declared that its president Rahul Gandhi has "failed".

Nadda suggested that Rahul should express his views on dynastic politics. "Priyanka Gandhi officially becomes General Secretary of Congress, but everyone knows how this household company works. It is also the first official declaration from Congress that Rahul Ji has failed, he should tell what his view of 'Parivarwadi soch' is (dynastic thought)?" he said.

With Priyanka’s formal entry into active politics, the Congress informed that she will be taking charge of her responsibility with effect from February first week. During earlier elections, Priyanka had kept herself limited to campaigning for Rahul and Sonia in only Amethi and Raebareli parliamentary constituencies. Incidentally, both Amethi and Raebareli are also part of Uttar Pradesh East, the region of which Priyanka has been given charge as General Secretary.

Apart from Priyanka, Congress has also appointed KC Venugopal as AICC General Secretary (Organisation), Jyotiraditya Scindia as AICC General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh West and Ghulam Nabi Azad as AICC General Secretary for Haryana.