In what could be seen as an announcement of Priyanka Gandhi’s arrival on the political scene, several senior Congress leaders yesterday acknowledged her role in striking an alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh.
A senior Congress leader said Priyanka Gandhi played a key role in sealing the deal with the SP.
Senior Congress functionaries, Ahmed Patel and Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is also the in-charge of Uttar Pradesh, separately acknowledged Priyanka’s role in giving the final shape to the alliance with the SP, which at one point had hit a roadblock.
Another low came in the talks when the Congress reportedly sent “political lightweights” like Prashant Kishor to negotiate with the SP leadership.
However, the Congress yesterday said there were no “political lightweights” and Priyanka herself was involved in the talks.
“(It’s) wrong to suggest that lightweights were dealing on behalf of the Congress party. Discussion was at highest level between the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Congress’ general secretary in-charge of UP and Priyanka Gandhi,” Patel, who is political adviser to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, tweeted.
“I have not spoken to any leader from the Samajwadi Party. News reports mentioning this are incorrect,” he said.
Separately, Azad said that Priyanka played a crucial role in forging the alliance with the SP, according to which the Congress would contest 105 seats while the SP will fight in 298 seats.
The SP initially offered Congress around 90 seats, while the latter was not ready to accept anything less than 120.
Priyanka Gandhi, Congress sources said, will campaign extensively in the polls, with Rahul Gandhi as well as separately. She may also campaign along with Dimple Yadav, the wife of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
Newly appointed Samajwadi Party president and chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav, poses for the media at the release of the party’s manifesto for the upcoming assembly polls, at the party’s headquarters in Lucknow, yesterday.
