(PTI)
Ending years of speculation, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra formally entered politics on Wednesday with the Congress appointing her general secretary for Uttar Pradesh East in a move reflecting the party’s intent to go full throttle in the state ahead of the general elections. She will take over her new assignment in the politically crucial state — a Congress bastion till the mid 1980s — from the first week of February, a statement from the party said.
The appointment is being seen as a masterstroke which will boost the morale of party workers in a state where Congress influence has been waning over the years and where the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party have announced a tie-up. Priyanka Gandhi, who turned 47 on January 12, will assist her brother and Congress president Rahul Gandhi in the Hindi heartland state, which has 80 Lok Sabha seats, the largest of any state in the country.
There had been speculation over her entry into active politics and the party and her mother Sonia Gandhi had said that she would take the plunge when she decides so. “Congress president has also appointed Smt Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as AICC general secretary for Uttar Pradesh East. She will be taking charge with effect from first week of February 2019,” a statement from Ashok Gehlot said.
